Disclosure Australia (AURA) - No 15 - August 2004

Magazine Overview

Title: DISCLOSURE AUSTRALIA
Issue: NEWSLETTER FIFTEEN
Date: AUGUST 2004
Publisher: Australian UFO Research Network

This issue of Disclosure Australia Newsletter details the significant effort undertaken by two members of the project Secretariat to examine Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) UFO files. Following a second Freedom of Information (FOI) request, approximately 18 hours were spent at RAAF Base Edinburgh in South Australia. The examination was conducted under restrictive conditions, as the RAAF did not permit photocopying, and all handwritten notes were subject to review by RAAF Security Police to ensure no personal identifiers were recorded.

Due to these limitations, a comprehensive cataloguing of the over 2000 pages of documents was not feasible. Instead, the team focused on summarising a selection of files and providing general descriptions of others, aiming to give readers a flavour of the contents.

Examination of RAAF UFO Files

The newsletter presents raw notes from the examination, categorised by file number and subject. These files cover a wide range of reported Unidentified Aerial Sightings (UAS) and related incidents across Australia.

File 17/26/Air Part 1: "Exercise close encounter"

This 90-page file, dated July 1 to August 1, 1983, details a situation where the RAAF was asked to investigate unknown radar targets in New South Wales (NSW) in 1983. A memo from July 1, 1973, outlines the RAAF's task. An Operation Order from Headquarters RAAF Williamtown (Op Order No. 11/83) tasked the base to provide air defence resources to identify radar contacts reported by the Department of Aviation's air traffic control agency in Sydney. These contacts, travelling at high speed, appeared north of Sydney up to 150 nautical miles and were assessed as likely man-made objects. Two Mirage aircraft were placed on 24-hour standby, but were not to be armed. Despite directing aircraft to locations of radar returns, no positive conclusions were drawn regarding the cause.

File 5/113/Air part 10: "Unusual aerial sightings"

This file, closed on December 23, 1992, covers reports from August 28, 1991, to December 23, 1992, originating from Queensland. It includes correspondence between the RAAF and reporters, with RAAF responses often stating that only reports with a Defence or security implication are investigated. A memo from July 30, 1991, from Queensland Police Service Morven to RAAF Amberley, refers to a video taken west of Mitchell on July 27, 1991. A UFO report from April 7, 1992, describes a cylindrical, circular, then square object, white with green and red lights, observed between 1900-2030 hours. Air Traffic Control also reported a strange object low on the horizon.

File 5/6/2 AIR Part 1: "Prediction agencies"

This file from HQ Support Command Melbourne, covering 1970-1986, consists of satellite prediction material.

File 5/113/Air part 5: "Unidentified Aerial Sightings"

This file contains reports from April 14, 1982, to January 21, 1985, with responses from the RAAF indicating investigation of Defence or security implications.

File 5/113/Air part 9: "Unusual aerial sightings."

Opened on December 9, 1989, this file covers reports up to July 31, 1991, and also includes RAAF responses regarding Defence or security implications.

File 5/1/11/Air Part 1: "Unusual Aerial Sightings (UAS) Administration."

This file, dated January 21, 1991, to 1994, from RAAF Edinburgh, includes various South Australian (SA) reports. One report from January 13, 1992, describes a blue-grey, elongated triangular object sighted at Sceales Bay. The RAAF's response suggested it was likely a photographic artifact. Another report details a civilian's washing machine changing colour, attributed by Sanyo to ultra-violet light. Various other SA sightings are listed, including a white light moving fast, pinpoint lights, boomerang-shaped objects, and a white round light.

File 6/44/Air Part 1: "Unusual Aerial Sightings"

This file from RAAF Williamtown, covering July 2, 1984, to December 11, 1986, contains pro formas and response letters from the RAAF.

File 5/6/Air Part 3: "Unidentified Aerial Sightings"

Raised on February 5, 1987, this file from Chief of Air Staff HQ Support Command includes standard reply letters, reports of unusual aerial sightings, and a draft Air Staff Instruction.

RAAF Policy on UAS

The document highlights a significant shift in RAAF policy regarding UAS. A statement indicates that "Experience in the RAAF since the early 1950s supports the Condon report conclusion." The RAAF accepts reports on UAS and attempts reliability allocation, but few are of direct interest unless they have defence or national security implications. Reports without such implications are not investigated further. The policy states that further investigation is confined to sightings of a terrestrial nature, and sightings of interest would involve incursions into Australian airspace by man-made objects, particularly near defence establishments. Traditional "lights in the sky" are no longer a cause for RAAF investigation.

File 11 ie 9755-11: "Information relating to Unexplained Aerial Sightings (UFOs) and photographs"

This file contains items relating to the 1983 Bendigo, Victoria flap.

File 5/40/Air part 7: "Unusual Aerial Sightings."

This file, covering July 1992 to June 1996, includes reports such as a pink ball sighting in Mooroobool, Queensland, where the RAAF commented, "Interesting sighting but no clear defence implication." Other reports include a glowing cigar with windows, lights illuminating the sky, a triangular object with a lit rear thrust area, and a bright light with a red underside.

File AF 529/1/4/AIR Part 5: "UFOs-enquiries from members of the public and civilian research organisations."

This file, from January 23, 1984, to March 31, 1994, consists of correspondence between civilians, UFO researchers, and the RAAF, often involving FOI requests. A report from March 7, 1994, describes a stationary large disc with red bottom and yellow top sighted off the coast near Newcastle.

File 5/113/Air part 11: "Unidentified Aerial Sightings."

This file, from April 15, 1993, to January 20, 1994, contains numerous reports from Queensland and RAAF responses. A revised policy on Unidentified Aerial Sightings is mentioned.

Policy Change and RAAF Stance

A significant policy change is detailed, stating that "whilst not all UAS have a ready explanation, there is no compelling reason for the RAAF to continue to devote resources to recording, investigating and attempting to explain UAS. The RAAF no longer accepts reports on UAS..." The change in policy would not be publicised by press release, but known UFO groups would be contacted individually.

File 5/6/1/AIR Part 1: "Unidentified flying objects."

This file, raised on August 10, 1990, includes reports from Western Australia (WA), such as a sighting near Lake Clifton involving a bright orange light and a 'smouldering' smell.

File 6/16/Air part 1: "Unusual Aerial Sightings."

This file contains reports including a sighting near Mypolonga, SA, of a bright white light, and a detailed account from a farmer near Jamestown, SA, describing a bright red craft approximately 20 yards wide and 12 feet high, with a witness to part of the event. Traces of flattened grass and dried ground were noted.

File 5/6/1/AIR Part 8: "UFO-reports"

This file covers various Victorian reports and RAAF responses. It includes a minute from a RAAF Security Officer dismissing a report as "utter drivel" and stating "We have quite enough cranks of our own thanks." A detailed sighting from November 12, 1978, describes a dark grey object with brown bands, approximately 22 feet in diameter, observed for 40 minutes.

File 5/6/1/Air part 15: "UFO-reports."

This file details an unusual radar contact on the TPN-802 radar at RAAF East Sale on September 25, 1985, which DAFIS found no conclusive explanation for. It also includes a report from June 1967 of a large object, approximately 96 feet in diameter, that took off rapidly from a paddock near Princes Highway, leaving a circle of dry ground.

Learmouth Sighting

A report from RAAF Learmouth describes a sighting on June 9, 1987, of a white light changing to amber, moving in a zig-zag pattern, and disappearing at great speed. Two SAS members were involved, and VHF communications between aircraft and ground failed during the incident.

File 5/113/Air part 7 & 8

These files contain numerous reports from Queensland and RAAF responses, with File 5/113/Air Part 8 noting a civilian who claimed to know too much about aliens and wished to turn himself in, but was assessed as having suffered an industrial accident affecting his reasoning and a minor alcoholism problem.

File 6/9/AIR Part 2: "Unusual Aerial Sightings."

This file includes a minute paper from September 1, 1991, detailing a farmer finding two rings of dead grass in a paddock, noting that it was not the first time such rings had been found.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this newsletter are the detailed examination of RAAF UFO files, the persistent reporting of unusual aerial phenomena across Australia, and the RAAF's evolving and increasingly restrictive policy towards investigating such sightings. The editorial stance appears to be one of diligent archival work, presenting factual accounts of sightings and official responses, while implicitly highlighting the challenges and limitations faced by researchers in obtaining and analysing government data on UFOs. The newsletter underscores the shift from active military investigation to a reliance on civilian UFO groups for reports not deemed to have national security implications.

This document is an excerpt from the "Newsletter" published by Disclosure Australia (AURA), specifically issue number 15, dated August 2004. The content appears to be a collection of internal communications, file references, and contact information related to the study of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) in Australia.

Content Summary

The document begins with a distribution list for a communication, including various Australian defence and intelligence acronyms such as AHQAUST, NADOC, HQRAAFNA, HQTFG, HQTDL, HQNORCOM, and 41WG. It is marked "Confidential" and includes a subject line: "ACREP 2CRU/001/94".

• This ACREP report details a specific sighting:
• Date/Time: 050232Z (likely a Zulu time designation).
• Position: 0837S 1293SE.
• Speed: 350 knots.
• Behavior: Travelled along FIR (Flight Information Region) boundary for four minutes.
• Notification: XO (Executive Officer) was notified.
• Identification: Nil means of identification.

Following this, there are references to file management and archival details. A "MI RAYBUY" entry notes a file cover change from 6/9 to 6/5 on February 22, 1993. Another file, "5/9/Air Part 7. 9755-1", titled "Unusual Aerial Sightings", is held by 86 Wing Richmond and contains 113 pages of folios dating from April 30, 1984, to May 23, 1991. This file includes various proforma and response letters from the RAAF, as well as a copy of the August 1987 Learmouth SA report.

A subsequent file reference, "5/6/4/AIR Part 1. 9755-1", is titled "UAS Policy-Hessdalen". This file was raised by CAS HQ Support Command on February 5, 1987, and contains "Lots of coloured photographs on file" and copies of pages from "Hendy's UFO guidebook".

• The document concludes with contact information for the secretariat of Disclosure Australia:
• E-mail: [email protected]
• Snail Mail: PO Box 786, North Adelaide, South Australia 5006
• Telephone: 041 141 75 94
• Web Site: http://disclosure.freewebpage.org

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The primary themes are "Unusual Aerial Sightings" and "UAP Policy", with a focus on official reports and documentation from Australian defence and intelligence bodies like the RAAF. The editorial stance appears to be one of investigation and disclosure, providing access to information and contact points for interested parties. The inclusion of specific sighting reports, file references, and archival details suggests a methodical approach to collecting and disseminating information on UAP.