1 00:00:01,077 --> 00:00:08,072 In December 1978, a Melbourne Australia television news crew filmed an object they claimed was a UFO. 2 00:00:11,070 --> 00:00:20,064 That film gave chilling credibility to an earlier report of an Australian pilot, who disappeared after he radioed that he was being strafed by a UFO. 3 00:00:26,059 --> 00:00:30,057 Are there UFOs in the skies over Australia and New Zealand? 4 00:00:31,056 --> 00:00:36,052 What is the difference between a UFO and a UFO? 5 00:00:50,043 --> 00:00:55,039 In the last 30 years, there have been more than 110,000 recorded UFO sightings. 6 00:00:55,039 --> 00:01:00,036 Researchers estimate that that number reflects only a tenth of those actually seen. 7 00:01:01,035 --> 00:01:07,031 Eyewitnesses claim that in nearly all cases, the UFOs have a saucer-like shape. 8 00:01:09,029 --> 00:01:21,021 Despite repeated official government denials that UFOs exist, some people point to hard evidence of scorched areas on the Earth's surface where UFOs have supposedly landed. 9 00:01:22,020 --> 00:01:29,015 Believers claim that the scarred areas are caused by intense heat generated by the UFOs. 10 00:01:31,014 --> 00:01:41,007 UFO sightings occur throughout the world, but the great majority of reports have been in the southern hemisphere, in the skies over New Zealand and Australia. 11 00:01:42,006 --> 00:01:47,002 It was here that the most astounding UFO footage in history was recorded. 12 00:01:48,002 --> 00:01:56,995 On December 21, 1978, radar bowls near Wellington, New Zealand picked up what air traffic controllers called an unexplained blip. 13 00:01:58,994 --> 00:02:06,988 A local pilot, Byrne Powell, was at the same time bound on a cargo mission from the South Island to the North Island of New Zealand. 14 00:02:08,987 --> 00:02:13,984 Powell described the object as anything but plain like in nature. 15 00:02:17,981 --> 00:02:27,974 What was it that Captain Powell, a 35-year flying veteran, saw in that December night sky? 16 00:02:28,973 --> 00:02:32,970 Douglas Maybin heads New Zealand's Mount John Observatory. 17 00:02:33,969 --> 00:02:38,966 Well, at that time that was taken, there were two very bright objects in the sky. 18 00:02:39,965 --> 00:02:44,962 One early in the morning was a plan of Venus, seen in the mornings fairly close to the horizon. 19 00:02:44,962 --> 00:02:52,956 And during the night from a little bit before midnight through to the morning, the planet Jupiter was up in the sky and it was very bright. 20 00:02:53,955 --> 00:03:00,950 They're not as bright as Venus. So depending on the time of day or night when the photographic was taken, it could have been one of those two planets. 21 00:03:01,950 --> 00:03:08,945 People have been able to give us a fair enough description of the time and the position in the sky. 22 00:03:08,945 --> 00:03:17,939 They see these things, we're able to work it out and every report I've had, we've had that sort of description, we've been able to identify it. 23 00:03:18,938 --> 00:03:34,927 The reports of these have been going on for so many years now and if there's such an intelligent set of people about how it's coming from outside the Earth that have been coming around all these times, I think by now they would have landed and introduced themselves. 24 00:03:35,926 --> 00:03:45,919 Others weren't so sure. Quentin Fogarty, a reporter for an Australian television station, was in New Zealand at the time of Vern Powell's flight. 25 00:03:46,918 --> 00:03:57,910 The station requested him to do a story on Powell's experiences. Together with David Crockett, a New Zealand cameraman, Fogarty decided to retrace the flight path of Captain Powell. 26 00:03:58,910 --> 00:04:03,906 In search of has recreated what happened to Fogarty on that fateful flight. 27 00:04:08,903 --> 00:04:18,896 Fogarty planned to make the 400 mile round trip between Wellington and Christchurch in a massive, augusty aircraft which was already scheduled for a freight run. 28 00:04:19,895 --> 00:04:26,890 Armed with cameras and sound equipment, the two men hoped to film proof of what Powell had reported. 29 00:04:27,889 --> 00:04:47,875 Fogarty realised that the chances of seeing what Powell saw 10 days earlier were remote, but he still had strange feelings about the flight. 30 00:04:48,875 --> 00:05:00,866 There were stages there where I was very, very frightened. I thought if I was to die or in fact I was to be removed from the aircraft in some shape or form, then it wasn't going to be a painful process. 31 00:05:01,865 --> 00:05:03,864 I can't really explain why I felt that. It's just a feeling I had. 32 00:05:04,863 --> 00:05:14,856 The flight was long. Captain Bill Startup, where early scanned the night sky. Fogarty and Cameron Crockett waited in the hold. 33 00:05:17,854 --> 00:05:18,853 Just checking the intercom. 34 00:05:24,849 --> 00:05:25,849 The baby alumni. 35 00:05:34,842 --> 00:05:38,839 Suddenly Captain Startup spotted the object and called to Fogarty. 36 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:42,837 The object seemed to be hovering around the aircraft. 37 00:05:43,836 --> 00:05:44,835 Do you see it? 38 00:05:48,832 --> 00:05:54,828 Unable to get good camera position, Fogarty and Crockett raced up to the cockpit. 39 00:05:59,825 --> 00:06:01,823 This is the film they shot. 40 00:06:02,823 --> 00:06:12,815 And by the time David and Miss Art got onto the flight deck, I could see two bright lights and in retrospect it now appears that this object was quite low and in fact was reflecting on the water. 41 00:06:13,815 --> 00:06:20,810 We just kept looking at this one bright object that looked like a very bright star outside our starboard window. 42 00:06:22,808 --> 00:06:27,805 So we turned towards the object and at this time David was continuing to film. 43 00:06:28,804 --> 00:06:37,798 And at one stage he said to me, he got very excited and turned around to me and said, you know, it's got a brightly lit bottom and sort of transparent sphere on top. 44 00:06:38,797 --> 00:06:43,794 And I was doing a tape commentary at the time and I remember saying that they sound like a classic flying saucer shape. 45 00:06:44,793 --> 00:06:50,789 And I think it was the last person to see it was that I looked out the right hand side of the aircraft and it appeared right down. 46 00:06:51,788 --> 00:06:53,787 And this object just went below the aircraft and disappeared. 47 00:06:55,785 --> 00:07:06,778 Nobody connected with this case has been prepared to say that they are extraterrestrial because I don't think you can ever say anything is extraterrestrial until you can actually physically hold on to it all. 48 00:07:07,777 --> 00:07:15,771 You can meet with the inhabitants or, you know, all the things of lands and central park and you've been with live television around the world and then people would say it was hoaxed anyway. 49 00:07:16,771 --> 00:07:22,766 But there are a number of possibilities and I think that probably the strongest of all the possibilities is that it is extraterrestrial. 50 00:07:23,766 --> 00:07:26,763 The film is unlike any other recorded in history. 51 00:07:27,763 --> 00:07:33,759 The object darted about, changed color, shimmered with an eerie translucency. 52 00:07:34,758 --> 00:07:39,754 The object was incredibly bright, far brighter than any planet or star. 53 00:07:43,752 --> 00:07:49,747 The film shot by Fogarty and Crockett has since been analyzed by US and Australian scientists. 54 00:07:50,747 --> 00:07:56,742 Their conclusions have been that it does show some metallic object unearthly in its brightness. 55 00:07:57,742 --> 00:08:02,738 No one will hazard a guess as to what it was or why it appeared where it did. 56 00:08:04,737 --> 00:08:14,730 By plotting where UFOs have reportedly appeared, a complicated grid system was devised by a man who has become the dean of UFO researchers. 57 00:08:15,729 --> 00:08:27,721 Bruce Cathy, a commercial pilot for more than 40 years, believes that his system, controlled by the elements of light, energy and matter, validates the presence of UFOs. 58 00:08:27,721 --> 00:08:32,717 I only found the system by actually studying UFOs, or the movement of UFOs. 59 00:08:33,716 --> 00:08:43,709 And was after I found out UFOs have to use that system or tune it to that system if they are going to move from point to point in space. 60 00:08:44,709 --> 00:08:47,707 The UFO shots were taken in New Zealand around last Christmas. 61 00:08:48,706 --> 00:08:52,703 Everything points to the fact that they were definitely, was hardware in the sky. 62 00:08:53,702 --> 00:08:56,700 And the main reason I say this is a fact that it's not the first time. 63 00:08:57,700 --> 00:09:04,695 It was a bit of a joke to us at the time when there was such a fuel we were made about this perfectly worldwide, as if it was one case or it's not the same. 64 00:09:05,694 --> 00:09:09,691 There's been many, many cases similar to this in New Zealand in the same area. 65 00:09:10,690 --> 00:09:16,686 There's been material tracked around the Cook Strait area and that branded area on many occasions by radar in Wellington. 66 00:09:16,686 --> 00:09:27,678 And on many occasions, even in daylight, there's been an object seen in the sky by crews in an aircraft and that's also been sighted on radar. 67 00:09:28,678 --> 00:09:36,672 And in one of those particular cases, the radar crew asked the crew of the aircraft to vector themselves onto this object so they could get a closer look at it. 68 00:09:37,671 --> 00:09:39,670 The crew were watching us from a distance and they refused. 69 00:09:40,669 --> 00:09:46,665 And that object was in that area for so long that even on the second trip back from Wellington across the Strait again it was still there. 70 00:09:47,664 --> 00:09:48,664 The crew stored a second time. 71 00:09:49,663 --> 00:09:51,662 But that was a broad daylight case. 72 00:09:52,661 --> 00:09:56,658 And no where could they say there was lights at night being reflected or Venus or anything like this. 73 00:09:57,657 --> 00:10:00,655 But there's been many cases like this. 74 00:10:01,655 --> 00:10:03,653 And particularly in that area. 75 00:10:04,652 --> 00:10:11,647 This UFO film shot over New Zealand might bear a strange relationship to an event which occurred three months earlier. 76 00:10:12,647 --> 00:10:14,645 In search of, examines that event next. 77 00:10:20,641 --> 00:10:22,640 October 21, 1978. 78 00:10:23,639 --> 00:10:31,633 Twenty year old Frederick Volentic took off to fly 120 miles from Melbourne, Australia across the Bass Strait to King Island. 79 00:10:32,633 --> 00:10:36,630 Volentic was scheduled to pick up some fish for a small market that employed him. 80 00:10:38,629 --> 00:10:42,626 Despite his youth, he was experienced enough to be a flight instructor. 81 00:10:43,625 --> 00:10:47,622 And Frederick Volentic had flown this route many times before. 82 00:10:55,617 --> 00:10:57,615 Delta Sierra, Juliet, pilot to ground. 83 00:10:57,615 --> 00:11:01,612 Is there any known aircraft in my vicinity below 5,000 feet? 84 00:11:03,611 --> 00:11:06,609 Delta Sierra, Juliet. Negative, no known traffic. 85 00:11:07,608 --> 00:11:11,605 Delta Sierra, Juliet. There seems to be a large aircraft below 5,000 feet. 86 00:11:12,605 --> 00:11:16,602 Delta Sierra, Juliet. What type of aircraft? 87 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:21,598 I cannot confirm, but it's four bright lights that appear to be landing lights. 88 00:11:22,598 --> 00:11:24,596 Unknown aircraft has just passed over me. 89 00:11:24,596 --> 00:11:26,595 About 1,000 feet. 90 00:11:28,593 --> 00:11:30,592 Is large aircraft confirmed? 91 00:11:31,591 --> 00:11:33,590 Delta Sierra, Juliet. Affirmative, at the speed it's travelling. 92 00:11:34,589 --> 00:11:36,588 Are there any RAAF aircraft in the vicinity? 93 00:11:38,586 --> 00:11:39,586 Negative. 94 00:11:39,586 --> 00:11:41,584 Confirm you can't identify aircraft. 95 00:11:42,584 --> 00:11:43,583 Affirmative. 96 00:11:44,582 --> 00:11:48,579 Delta Sierra, Juliet. Melbourne. It's approaching from due east of me. 97 00:11:48,579 --> 00:11:50,578 It seems to be playing some sort of game. 98 00:11:50,578 --> 00:11:52,576 Flying at a speed I can't estimate. 99 00:11:53,576 --> 00:11:58,572 Stephen Roby, air traffic controller on duty then, explains the reported UFO's movement. 100 00:11:59,572 --> 00:12:02,569 A couple of times, coming from various directions. 101 00:12:03,569 --> 00:12:05,567 And then he started orbiting. 102 00:12:06,567 --> 00:12:10,564 And the aircraft was orbiting above him. 103 00:12:11,563 --> 00:12:17,559 And on several occasions, he sort of stated that it, towards the end, it wasn't an aircraft. 104 00:12:17,559 --> 00:12:24,554 And he described it as having a sort of a green light on it. 105 00:12:25,553 --> 00:12:29,550 And also it appeared to be a sort of a silver metallic colour. 106 00:12:30,550 --> 00:12:34,547 Delta Sierra, Juliet. What is your altitude? 107 00:12:35,546 --> 00:12:38,544 Delta Sierra, Juliet. 4,500 feet. 108 00:12:41,542 --> 00:12:45,539 Delta Sierra, Juliet. Confirm you can't identify aircraft. 109 00:12:48,537 --> 00:12:51,535 Affirmative. It's not an aircraft. 110 00:12:52,534 --> 00:12:54,533 Guido Volentic is Frederick's father. 111 00:12:55,532 --> 00:12:56,531 Night. 112 00:12:57,531 --> 00:13:05,525 He's supposed to join us with friends, where we went for some family movie, projection. 113 00:13:06,524 --> 00:13:12,520 And that night, he never turned up. He didn't ring up normally. 114 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:20,515 He's always, when he goes for a trip, when he returns at the airport, he normally would call us. 115 00:13:21,514 --> 00:13:23,513 You know, I'll be home after an hour or so. 116 00:13:24,512 --> 00:13:29,508 But that night, it was quite strange, you know. We didn't know anything about it. 117 00:13:30,508 --> 00:13:33,505 We got home about 11 o'clock and he wasn't home. 118 00:13:34,505 --> 00:13:36,503 My wife then started to worry a bit. 119 00:13:36,503 --> 00:13:43,498 And so, you know, all of a sudden, this is too late to start inquiring. 120 00:13:45,497 --> 00:13:47,496 Can you describe it? 121 00:13:48,495 --> 00:13:51,493 Delta Sierra, Juliet. It's flying past. It has a long shape. 122 00:13:52,492 --> 00:13:55,490 You cannot identify more than that. Coming for me right now. 123 00:13:56,489 --> 00:14:02,485 He described it as being of a long shape, as I said before, a silver colour with the various lights on it. 124 00:14:02,485 --> 00:14:11,479 And he actually did say it wasn't an aircraft. So, it's very strange. 125 00:14:12,478 --> 00:14:18,474 It appears to be stationary. I'm orbiting. The thing, it's orbiting on top of me. 126 00:14:19,473 --> 00:14:22,471 There's a green light and a sort of metallic light on the outside. 127 00:14:26,468 --> 00:14:28,467 It seems to have vanished now. 128 00:14:29,466 --> 00:14:32,464 Confirm it has vanished. 129 00:14:33,463 --> 00:14:38,460 Affirmative. Do you know what sort of aircraft I've got? Is it military? 130 00:14:39,459 --> 00:14:41,458 No military traffic in this area. 131 00:14:42,457 --> 00:14:47,453 It was 8 o'clock, right there in the morning. Nothing still happening. 132 00:14:48,453 --> 00:14:55,448 I couldn't see any sign of him. And I was just about to get up and maybe get on the phone. 133 00:14:56,447 --> 00:15:04,442 Where all of a sudden, a couple of uniformed blue slag-legged walk in the front door. 134 00:15:05,441 --> 00:15:10,437 And at that time we realised immediately that something was wrong. 135 00:15:12,436 --> 00:15:15,434 Delta Sierra, Juliet. Engine is rough idling and copying. 136 00:15:16,433 --> 00:15:19,431 Delta Sierra, Juliet. What are your intentions? 137 00:15:20,430 --> 00:15:22,429 Proceeding King Island. 138 00:15:26,426 --> 00:15:35,420 Delta Sierra, Juliet. Unknown aircraft now hovering on top of me. 139 00:15:36,419 --> 00:15:40,416 Finally, we lost contact with him in a very strange way. 140 00:15:41,415 --> 00:15:45,413 The communications he was putting out seemed to break. 141 00:15:46,412 --> 00:15:53,407 People describe it as a sort of a metallic sound, the last transmission that was sent from Delta Sierra, Juliet. 142 00:15:53,407 --> 00:16:00,402 Delta Sierra, Juliet. Acknowledge. Do you read me? 143 00:16:05,399 --> 00:16:06,398 Do you read me? 144 00:16:08,397 --> 00:16:14,392 Delta Sierra, Juliet. Repeat. Do you read me? 145 00:16:15,392 --> 00:16:21,387 Despite an extensive four-day search, which included using a sophisticated Orion aircraft, 146 00:16:22,387 --> 00:16:29,382 capable of detecting any sort of debris at great ocean depths, not a single scrap of wreckage was ever found. 147 00:16:30,381 --> 00:16:35,378 No hard evidence ever turned up that would explain the disappearance of Frederick Valentik. 148 00:16:36,377 --> 00:16:38,375 But theories abound. 149 00:16:39,375 --> 00:16:43,372 Some say that Valentik became disoriented and saw this lighthouse. 150 00:16:44,371 --> 00:16:49,368 A second theory is that he saw lights of fishing vessels and then becoming disoriented, 151 00:16:50,367 --> 00:16:53,365 spiralled his plane into the ocean. 152 00:16:54,364 --> 00:16:59,361 Guido Valentik, Frederick's father, believes otherwise. 153 00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:06,356 Well, after Frederick reported this UFO incident, 154 00:17:06,356 --> 00:17:13,351 I inclined to think that it could be some intelligent life in the other space. 155 00:17:14,350 --> 00:17:18,347 Despite all the officials trying to suppress this, 156 00:17:19,347 --> 00:17:25,342 it really makes me very confused because now I'm radically radiated 157 00:17:26,342 --> 00:17:30,339 and now my son wouldn't make himself so ridiculous. 158 00:17:30,339 --> 00:17:33,337 And stating things like that. 159 00:17:34,336 --> 00:17:39,333 So I'm inclined to believe that really must be something in the space 160 00:17:40,332 --> 00:17:43,330 that the general population might not aware to be. 161 00:17:44,329 --> 00:17:51,324 And I realize after this disappearance, which I couldn't have the opportunity before, 162 00:17:52,323 --> 00:17:55,321 how many calls I get from various parts of the world. 163 00:17:55,321 --> 00:18:01,317 I really encourage me to believe that it could be still alive, 164 00:18:02,316 --> 00:18:05,314 with another intelligence and a spice. 165 00:18:07,313 --> 00:18:11,310 One of the most bizarre attempts to prove Valentik still lives 166 00:18:12,309 --> 00:18:15,307 is conducted by New Zealand psychic Colin Amary. 167 00:18:16,307 --> 00:18:20,304 He claims that through the power of the power of the universe, 168 00:18:20,304 --> 00:18:23,302 he can contact Valentik and speak in his voice. 169 00:18:24,301 --> 00:18:34,294 The people I spoke of before, I know that my family are very sad, 170 00:18:35,293 --> 00:18:40,290 but it is not necessary. 171 00:18:40,290 --> 00:19:06,271 Death is something that is quite painless and is not difficult to bear. 172 00:19:07,271 --> 00:19:11,268 Valentik's plane and the supposed UFO were beyond the reach of radar, 173 00:19:12,267 --> 00:19:15,265 thus making it impossible to confirm his report. 174 00:19:16,264 --> 00:19:21,261 And the taped conversation between Valentik and the air traffic controller has never been released. 175 00:19:22,260 --> 00:19:27,257 The Australian Civil Aviation Department has refused all requests to hear that tape. 176 00:19:28,256 --> 00:19:31,254 The department will not give any reason for its refusal. 177 00:19:37,250 --> 00:19:45,244 Delta Sierra Julian, acknowledge. Do you read me? 178 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:53,238 Repeat. Do you read me? 179 00:19:55,237 --> 00:19:59,234 There have been hundreds of planes that have disappeared without a trace. 180 00:20:00,233 --> 00:20:03,231 Valentik's disappearance is the single documented case 181 00:20:03,231 --> 00:20:08,228 where a plane has vanished after claiming contact with a UFO. 182 00:20:14,224 --> 00:20:18,221 For years, in search of cameras have found and recorded the reports 183 00:20:19,220 --> 00:20:22,218 of individuals claiming to have seen UFOs. 184 00:20:23,217 --> 00:20:26,215 And it was a weird object, funny noises and it was really bright. 185 00:20:27,214 --> 00:20:29,213 When I first saw it, I was standing approximately right here, 186 00:20:30,212 --> 00:20:32,211 but I couldn't get too good of a view of it because the brush and the trees are in the way. 187 00:20:33,210 --> 00:20:37,207 I don't know how many people saw it and told us the next day that they saw this thing up in the sky. 188 00:20:38,207 --> 00:20:43,203 I noticed up by the blue shadow over there that there was something in the sky. 189 00:20:44,202 --> 00:20:45,202 It was definitely right there. 190 00:20:46,201 --> 00:20:50,198 On the night of November 2nd, 1975, I was sitting here doing my homework 191 00:20:51,198 --> 00:20:58,193 and I looked out the window and right above the blue building, I saw a UFO come down out of the sky. 192 00:20:58,193 --> 00:21:03,189 All of these first-hand accounts, together with the strange occurrences in the southern hemisphere, 193 00:21:04,188 --> 00:21:08,186 only makes one wonder what really does exist in outer space. 194 00:21:28,172 --> 00:21:42,162 Music