Fred Valentich: the missing Australian pilot. International UFO Reporter, v. 3, n. 12 .

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A MONTHLY REVIEW OF THE UFO PHENOMENON REPORTS. INVESTIGATIONS & ANALYSES | E | | | FRED VALENTICH: THE MISSING AUSTRALIAN PILOT The Most Complete (and Perhaps Final) Report in Print MINI-UFO LEAVES WELL-WITNESSED PHYSICAL TRACE IN MISSOURI | 16 UFOS SELECTED FROM 183 U.S. CASES: | Aug. 15-Sept. 14 must De Sent Sa wecks * advanca ana accompaniea bs cid and new addresses. 3. Allen rasvan of ine Boas Editor-in-Chiet: J A en Hynek Managing Editor. Allan hendry INTERNATIONAL UFO REPORTER USP 424890 ea menthiy Cy h UFO Repo rter. mm Sessra class poslage paid at Evanston Pest Office R DOI ID day Pa SUA) Eua RUA ELECTRA DR A NA EPT AR AR EA Pe raê about as good a coltec- EURO RR UT e ate os “graphs.of UFOs as it is possible'to E Dude Re AR RU Ru uspended on. strings. t.hasten, to USE “claimed responsibility tor thisitawdry lisction of photós;; t is his Gon- ETOILE TA TM o LR AR to Ra Pd) ARE á a PRETA paia RR ir [O q) É ps E Pr Pp Ro ETA RO AA E A PTS TA É ER TO És IPT RE e “a dh PAL tp ta Lol a be that of a UFO Is psbicuae EA E DAL IS Ee NS A ERC Ee o é oney and ingenuity.'just about Ure do E e RL NTE De ab a ASR UTÃSA Eb

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. Rx 135, p-dJ40 . Search Second E sa Jong shay 'oming lor me Missing pilof s father says “ id sighting “hovering ou top of me" | FO captured his son plane pus in UFO 7 nao mystery UFO MYSTERY UFO PILOT “NOT HIDING IN BUSH 'ROBE WIDENS ON MISSING PLANE Gostord UFO expert probes Bass Strait surto” PIT LOST Hot leve headed' AI SEA Metal clue in mystery VORLD CALLS ON MISSING sea hunt for plane UFO GRAB * PILOT Aussie pilot reports seeing EU f Hundreds of UFO reports cEARCH FINDS NC Was it the same UFO? TRACE OF PILOT “FOREIGN FORUM This is a representative sampling of UFO seghiing over these cases as domestic ones, it is at least asintheus ptainou ttom aralind lho world Whue we cannot sxert the same degree o! contro! valve 10 see thal the same characteristics arc reporteg for the phenomenon abroad Saturday, October 21 brought the world the most publicized sighting ot the year. the mysterious case of Australian pilot Fred Valentich. As à rule, tUR has difficulty obtaining information on a foreign case, but this one is an exception, for there is only so much that anyone can know about it. The solitary witness is “un- available for comment” perhaps forever. The sources of IUR's intar- mation on this matter spring from 70 newspaper chppings from Australia and the U.S., direct calls to news departments in Meibourne, reports trom Harry Griesburg, Paul Norman and Bill Chalker overseas and intor- mation submitted by Mizhaei Duggin of the University ot Sydney and Dr Richard Haines in the U.S Frederick Paul Valantich, 20, had spent three years as a cadet and volunteer instructor with the RAAF Air Traning Corps in West Mel- bourne. He had been flying for two years and held an unrestricted li cense since February, 1978. Fred needed to build up night flying hours for nis commercial pilot's license and needed to pick up craytish tor an Air g Corps officers' function, on October 21, he laid aside netecrology course studies and orabbin Airport ir Melbourne PM for a flight to King Island to get both. Flying in the same $43,000 blue and white Cessna 182L (Iong-range” type) in which he had trainod, he followed the conventional course toward King Island by nug- ging the shoreline to Capo Otway a route his father said he had fiown three times dofore. He radioed to the Melbourne Fight Service that ha had passed the southernmost point of the mainland at 7:00 PM and was flying across the Bass Strait toward the island (this was a “full reporting" Hig) Estimated time of arrival at King Istand: 7:28 PM. His parents expected to hear from him again at 10 PM, back with his fresh craytish At 706 PM, however, Valentich became aware of a neighboring “air- craft” at his 4500-foot altitude, and radiced the Flight Service about his unexpected traffic. While a number 2 Fred Valentich

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E) Jbbraviated aceounts have ap- peated uy lhe press the tullowminy tanscopt has been thorocgbly cnecked by Ken Viiliams. the ass:s- tant girector of pubtiv relations of the Depariment of Transport's Air Trans- Port Group. and ne has ceemed da «erbatim” account Fred valentich is OSJ” Melbourne Fight Service is FS 1 06. 14-DSJ Melbourne. this 15 Delta Sierra Juliet is thera any krown traffic below tive thousand? FS Deita Sierra Junet, ro Anown rathe “Ss: Delta Sierra Juher, Lam” seems ito) be a large arrcra!t below tive Ihousano 7 D6 44-FS" Delta Srerra Junset. what type o! aircraltas dt DSs Delta Sierra Juttet, | cannot abrem Its four bright, 1 seems to me lhe tanding bghts. 7 07:00-FS: Detta Sierra Juliet. 7 ur 31-:DSJ Melboume. this (is) Delta Sierra Jutiet. The aircraft has just passed over me at least a thousand feet above io note: This, taken iiterally, would mean a 1000 feet-per-minute climb) FS Delta Sterra Juliet. roger, and et 'S à large aireratt. contumed? DSJ:Er— unknown, due to the speed it's Iraveting—s there any Air Force ascraftan the vicinity? ES Derta Sierra Juliet. no known au crettan the vicinity. 7 08. 18-DS4. Melbourne, it's ap- preaching now from due cast to- auras me FS Deita Sierra Juliet 2 08 1440pen micraphone tor two seconds) 7 08:48-DSJ. Delta Sierra Juliet, it seems to me that he's fHying over me two, three times at speeds | could not identify. «Ed note: from 7:08:18 to 7:08:48, two or three passes were made in 30 seconds flat That's some aircraft! Even it ut was one, such aircralt “buzring” acts would be a tlagrant aisregard ot air navigation reguta- tions ) 7 09:00-FS: Deita Sierra Julret, roger. Wnal is your actual tevel” OSJ My level is four and a half thou- sand... four, tive, Zero. zero. FS: Delta Sierra Juliet, and you con- tirm you cannot identify the aircran? DSJ: Aftirmative FS: Deita Sierra Juliet, soger, stand- Gy 7:09:27-DSJ: Meibourne, Delta Sierra Juliet. It's net an aircraft. itis — lopen microphone for two seconds). 7.09 42-FS: Delta Sierra Juliet, Mel- DOurne. Can you describe the -er- asrcratt? DSs Delta Sierra Jultet, as 1t's fiying past. it's à long shape iOper micro phone tgr three seconds) .. cannot identify more than that. It has such speeu (open microphone for three seconds! . .. before me right now. Melbourne 7:10:00-FS: Deita Sierra Julet, roger. and how large would the «er obyec! be? 7 10 19-DSy' Delta Sierra Juhet, Melbourne, tl scems like it's station- aty What Em doing nght now Is or- Citing and the thing is just Crbiting on top of me also. It's gol a green fight and sort of metaltic (like) il's all stuny (on) the outside. FS. Delta Sierra Juliet. 7? 10:46-DSJ Delta Sierra Juhet, topen microphone for five seconds) ns jus! vanished. FS. Delta Sierra Juliet 7.11 00:DSJ. Melbeurne, would you know vchat kind of aircraft I've got? Is mta type) military aircrati? FS. Detta Sierra Juliet, contium the -er- aiscrart just vanished? OSS: Say again? FS: Deita Sierra Juliet, is the aircraft Set watt: you? DSJ: Delta Sierra Juliet. (it's -ah--) tupen microphone for two seconds) now approaching from the south- west. FS: Delta Simrra Juliet. (Ec norte: 10 have vanished at 7:10: 46and flown of! far enoughto be seen approaching from the south- west tess than a minute later suggests considerable speed!) 7.11:50-DSJ Delta Sierra Juliet, the engine (5 -- rough idiing. I've gol It set at iwenty three, twenty four ano the thing is (coughing). FS: Delta Sierra Juliet, roger. What are your intentons? DS! My intenttons are -ah- to go to King Island -ah- Meibourne that strange aurcrafl is hovering on top of me agair. It (open microphone tor two seconds) Is hover;ng and it's rot an atcrast FS: Deita Sier:a Juliet. 7:12:28-Deta Sierra Juliet, Mel- bourne ARK 445, p. 3/10 and then silence. except tor à strange “metallic” sound over his m.crophone which was heia open tor 17 seconds With “pertect” flying condittons—a dusk sky (known to be cloudless at Cape Otway at 5. 49 PM) valha miid northwesterly breeze and unlimited visibility—Vatentich had Cisappeareg. He never made 11 16 King Island. The last controller to speak with Valentich was Steve Robey at the Melbourne Flight Service at Tulla- manne. Robey said, “| had to force Dreve Rorey myself to stay as calm as possible. | was Stunned but | had to handle 1t." THE SEARCH Oct. 2!: Light aircraft iniuated a visual and radio search that night. Oct. 22: An RAAF Orion (a long- range maritime reconnaisance air- craft) spent the whole next day, Sunday. searching the steait. Mt did find an oil slick 18 miles north of King Islang in the tate afternoon and gropped a beacon to mark the s:gnt, The searchers were aiready confi- dent, however, that the slick was too large to be produced by the Cessna. Oct. 23: A sample of the slick was taken by a boat from Warrnamboo! The analysis cf the sample was per- formed by the Defense Department materials research laboratory at Maribyrnong Result: a weak mix,

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e COtway: coj sLieK King Is probably “marine diesel” and not the Cessna's fuel. A Nomad aircraft scoured an area from Warrnambool to Cape Otway while the Air Force Orion covered the Bass Strait and a Cessna searched the King Island region. Reports trom the search area indicated the sea temperature to be around eight degrees above freezing. The searchers feit, though, that Valentich would stilt stand a good chance of survival if he was wearing his hfejacket. Oct. 25: By Wednesday night, search aircraft had coverea 7000 square miles in tour days. Ergnt aircraft had flown a total of 70 hours. The Aus- tralian Coastal Surveiliance Organ- ation in Canberra had alerted all shipping and crayfish boats ir the area to be on the Iookout. A pilot fiying at 4000 feet reported sighting what he thought was 1 plane under water, but reference to charts showed the water to be 180 feet deep with a very choppy surface due to a gale; hence, the Department of Civil Aviation did not consider the report firm enough to follow up, The RAAF reconnuisance plane also spotted some fintsam in the water 4 km. from the oil slick which looked lixe a yellow life jacket and part of a fuselage: this caused some brief excitement during the search. A merchant vessel determined, how- ever, that the debris was only fruit cartons and plastic bags. rubbish trom a ship. A thorougn land search ot Cape Otway and King Istand also proved fruitless. Thus. the search was called off Wednesday night An Aero Commander would flv over beaches later in the week to watch for wreckage which might get washed ashore. Oct. 26: The investigation was switched from the rescus coordina- tion center to the Department of Transport air safety investigation branch. An official sa:c at the sme, “the Department of Transport is in- Quirnng into all aspects the air- cratt's last flight, This encompasses the eirworthiness of the airzraft, the operation o! the aircratt— including the flight plan—and other factors involved---that is, the pilot himself” WHERE IS FRED VALENTICH? Fred Valentich's apparently tragic experience immediately became the subject of world-wide press atten- tion Indeed, the drama of this inci- dent was a marked change trom the Fotizemen See Distant Ambiguous Licnt-variety of report to which the din often seem to restrict them- selves. Tro case also generated glcbal speculation on the Austratian pilot's fate Somsofthe suggestions in the Australian press seem, patently outrageous; instead of a real UFO, Valentich was watching an aurora, then crashed. Another idea posed by ken Willams, the Depariment uf Transport spokesman, to the press was that the pilot was watching meteorites, got struck by one of them 4!), became disoriented and flew upside down, causing his engine to rough-idle and cut out. Does it need to be pointed out that the history ol meteorites striking vehicies is almost unprecedented. while the history of UFO involve- ments with the mysterious disap- peurance of planes in the Center for UFO Studies computerized UFOCAT number almost twenty? Still, a great deal cf debate has centered on a few atternatives to the UFO “plane- napping” suggested by the pilot's tast words. Arguments for the “pros- ecution” anã “detense” are listed below, foflowing each proposed alterrative: PREMISE 41; VALENTICH TURNED THE PLANE UPSIDE DOWN IN THE DARK AND WAS SIMPLY WATCH- ING REFLECTIONS OF HIS PLANE LIGHTS OFF THE WATER. Arguments in Favor: 1) The sun set at 6:43 PM that Satur- day, and the moon didn't rise until after 11 PM. Mr. Michael Falls, an experienced flight instructor with the Great Pacific Aeroplane Company in Melbourne told the Christchurch STAR that Valentich may have risked his tie by fiving without a horizon in the dusk sky. “In that case, he may have town by his instincts instead of his controls. If you can't make out a horizon then you are in Dig trouble, unless you are experienced with instruments 2) Valentich made only one night flight before on instruments (thought to be Benalia, 80 miles north of Mel- 4 ARK. 135 prrlso bourne). One source stated he onty had 15 hours of night flying 34 Spokesmen for the Departrnent of Transport echoed sentiments that the young Cessna pilot wasn't very experienced and “could easily have accidentally turned the plane vpsice down and seen his own lights re- ficcted in the sea." 4) Valentich said his plane was “orbiting” (circling) and the UFO was orbiting above him. This effect woulc be achieved if he was watching his own lights off the ocean surtace while upsíde dowr. the refiections wouid move with him, Arguments Against: 1) The Cessna 182L has a gravity-feo carburator. Upside down, the plane could only fly for 50 seconds at the most (11 seconds, according to an- other source). The sightings lasted for 6 minutes as timed by the tape recording. 2) Fred's father Guido told the press, “he was very good in aerobatics. He would have known immediately if his flight position was wrong.” 3) There was no sound of a stall warning over the microphone, or engine splutter (though the latter isn't a guaranteed situation) 4) Arthur Schutt, veteran aviator who controis the Melbourne-based Schutt Aviation Company told the press, "In that half-light, the pilot would have soon known if the aircraft had started to turn upside down. The carpet comes out of the floor and the butts fall out of the ashtray.” PREMISE 42: IT WASN'T NECES- SARY TO FLY UPSIDE DOWN. HE COULD HAVE CIRCLED STEEPLY INTO THE WATER WHILE WATCH- ING EITHER THE LIGHTHOUSE BEAMS OF CAPE OTWAY AND KING ISLAND REFLECTING OFF THE CLOUDS ... OR HIS OWN LIGHTS OFF OF THE WATER IN FRONT OF HIM. Arguments In Favor: 1) Valentich's instructor, Mr. Aubrey Coates, said he couid have become confused by beams from the Cape Otway and Cape Wickham (King Island) lighthouses. Coates has ticwn In the area for 13 years and ciaimed that the lights could have appeared tike UFOs. 2) Veteran aviator Mr. Anhur Schutt also said the most dangerous time tor discrimination was during the switch from visual flight to inatru- ments at dusk. A disoriented pilot would believa his eyes, Schutt said, and not his instruments once he had lost the horizon. 3) Some pitots flying at night crashed after mistaking ground lights for

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conse státs. The U.S. Air Force found that pilots most likely to suffer an upside down” dllusion were those with 2000 to 2500 hours of expa- nence, flying single engine am planes 4) Two experienced pitais have crth- cized the Department o! Transport tor even allowing a flight like this George Smith, former manager of the TYasmanian Aero Club and Colin Kerby of St. Kilda imdependently stated that the Bass Strait 15 “a bad suetch of water” with unprecictable weather conditions: as long as the Department aliowed single-engine planes, especially with inexpe- renced pilots, to cross he strait at night. Kerby said “they x ill just keep going down.” Arguments Against: 1) 1f Valentich didn't tiy upside down, how could the UFO fly repeatedly over the plane and beyond it? 2) valentich had four instruments to tell him his altitude! His voice was caim and unpanicked and he dig, atter all, hold a class 4 instrument rating 3; Steve Robey, the radar controller m the fight, told the press, “t don't believe he was disorientes because ne was communicating quite ciearly.” PREMISE 43: THE REPORTED UFO MUST HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CESSNA'S DISAPPEARANCE. IN THE CASE OF A CRASH ALONG A MAJOR AIR ROUTE, IT IS MOST UNUSUAL TO FIND NO WRECKAGE OR OIL SLICK. Arguments In Favor: 1) There were four orange polysty- rene life jackets designed to be visible from the air in the event of a water crash 2) Parts of the plane were construc- tec trom modular units which float in tne event of a crash. None of these easily-visible objects have been found 3) The plane had a “black box” radio survival beacon broadcasting a dis- tress signal. It was never heard Arguments Against: 1) the plane had sunk into the water, the emergency signal would not have been heard 2» There were two other plane crashes in this area in the last decade where the planes and pilots were never seen again. First, on December 24. 1969, Peter Phillips, 25, was fiving a Fuji low-wing aircraft from King Island to Moorabbin. His last radio message also placed him about 8 km. of! Cape Otway at 300 meters altitude. He, too, developed engine trouble and was believed to have crashed into the sea. No trace of his plane could be found (no UFO was reported in this incident) Second. on Sept. 8, 1972, an otd Worlkt Was W Tiger Moth with two people on board disappeared be- tween Hobart and Flinders Island in Bass Strait On board was Max Price, 57. a “very experienced” pilot wha had completely restored his own plane A!so on board was conserva- tionist Brenda Hean, who chartered the fight to skywnte in protest against tre flooding of Lake Pedder in Tasmania. The plane left at 10:16 AM and was due to arrive a: 12:45 PM. There was enough luel to last until 2:30 PM The Tiger Moth also had one of those emergency bea- cons, but its high-frequency signa: was never heard, either 3) The last thing Valentich reported was engine trouble . miles over Bass Strait Counter-Argument in Favor: Even if the plane is discovered to have crashed in Bass Strait, it can still be arguec that the reported UFO caused it. The high-speed maneuvers back and forth over the plane suggest a decided intent toward lhe Cessna Wth no known aircraft, civilian or military, in the area and with the ex- hibition of capabilities exceeding knowr; planes anyway, the notion that an carthly vehicle caused such a crash seems totally invalid PREMISE 44: THÉ WHOLE EVENT WAS A HOAX. VALENTICH IS HIDING SOMEWHERE WITH PLANS TO RETURN IN THE NEAR FUTURE AND DECLARE HIMSELF A “CON- TACTEE” TO BECOME FAMOUS (EVEN A CULT LEADER AS SUGGESTED IN THE AUSTRALIAN PRESS) | VALENTICH WAS A UFO BUFF, AND LIKELY TO PULL OFF A PRANK LIKE THIS. Arguments in Favor: 1) Fred Valentich's parents have por- trayeu a strong impressinn of their son as a UFO enthusiast ir the press. According to the family, Fred col- tected books and magazines on UFOs. He was so convinced about te on other planets that he fem it was only a maiter of time betore aliens would invade the eanh. His mother, Mrs. Alberta Valentich, was actually quoted in the press as saying: “Freddie was worried that one day a UFO might come down and divide the family... that they might take us away. 2) Frea's 16-year old girlfriend, Rhonda Rushton, told the Australian papers, “he once told me that if a Guto Valentch UFO did come to earth he'd go back with it but not without me.” 2) Mrs. Valentich said that she and her son had seen a UFO earlier, around last June. A “very bright” Irght source, “10 to 20 times bigger” than a star, hovered “several thou- sand feet” above their home for 10 minutes. Then suddenly it streaked away in a flash. “We were both con- vinced it was a UFO.“ 4) Fred's father said he made an ef- fort to see “all the science liction movies.” Cotumbia pictures “Closa Encounters of the Third Kind” was probably the last film he ever saw. 5) Both of Valentich's parents were told that during his time at Sale RAAF Base as an Air Training Corps cadet, he had seen classified mate- rial which confirmed his earlier be- tints about UFOs Arguments Against: 1) While acknowledging his son's in- terest, Mr. Valentich told the press that Fred was not a “UFO fanatic.” “He was very serious about his flying and would not have played any games,” he told the Melbourne SUN. “He was not the type of person who would make up stories, everything had to be very correct and positive for him. He was part of the way towards his commercial pilot's license and had no reason to throw all his work away.” He onty had to pass meteor- ology and aerodrome legislation betora gaining his commercial Il- cense. Mr. Valentich said “he was very keen, quite good and not over- confident.” 2) San.-Ldr. Ronald Grandy said he hand-picked Fred Vatentich as an air training instructor "because ne was no tool.” He described the missing pilot as “level-headed and could hold his tongue ... (he was) common sense on legs.” If the Cessna crashed into the walter, Grandy was sure that Valentich would have got

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* Out and swum tor land if at was possible. “Young Fred taught here on Friday nights and often heiped out during the weca—! don't know how I'm going to replace him 3) Don Sowman, chef tlying instruc- torat Southern Air Services said: “he seemed a normal bloke and an aver- age pilot.” 4) Wing-Commander Colin Chaliss of the Sale RAAF said. “we have tiles on unusual aerial Sijhtings. bul they are not classified and Mr. Valentich did not see them.” 54f the event was a hoax based on Fred Vatentich's UFO enthusiasm, he would have known better" than to keep describing tre UFO's ap- pearance in difterent ways: 7:06 44—"tfour bright lights” 7.09:42—“long shape” 7:10:19—"'shiny, metallic object with a green light”. If this event was planned in advance, why would he choose to weaken his own story with inconsistencies? Counter-Argument in Favor: if Fred Valentich was really “common sense on legs,” why did he fly further out to sea with a failing engine when the normal thing wcu'd have been to turn back to Cape Otway”? He is estimated to have been only 12 rautical miles out. Cape Otway was much further away. Why did he over- look securing the landing lights at King Island when it would be impossible to land without them? IH, VALENTICH'S FATHER WAS IN ON THE DEAL, ANNOUNCING TO THE PRESS THAT ALIENS HAD KIDNAPPED HIS SON TO REIN- FORCE THE HOAX. Arguments in Favor: 1) Immediately after the disap- pearance. Guido Valentich told the press that he believed his son Is alive and being held by people from another planet. “| have a very strong teeling that my son is still alive and is being held by someone lrom another worid. The failure to find any gn of my son cr his piane strengthens my beliet tnat be has teen taken by some sirango people for some reason or another. | have no idea why they would wsn! to take my sen, but strange things co Hrappen,” Note that this is similar to the Travis vvalton abduction episode. where Walton's mother exhibited calmness during the days of Travis s absence. She said that Travis told her earlier that if he was ever taken by a UFO, she was not to worry. that he would be brought back safeiy Arguments Against: 1 Mr. Valentich's overt statements are ciearly a grief reaction. Not men- tioned in the quotes above was his turly statement that he would rather believe that Fred was ative on a sfaceship “than them firoing wreck age of the plane” Another press quote: Ud rather believe my son was ative on some other planet than dead at the bottom of the sea 2) Trat these conclus:ors do not re- flect a pre-arranged plan is further reflected in the dwindimg hope dis- played by Guido Valentich. His earest speculation about extrater- restrial abduction envistoned a quick retura for his sony “They may want tc tura him for a week or sQ before re- turmrq him” By October 23, this duration lengthened: “| believe he was sucked up into the air by a JFO and then forced back to earth scrne- whero— perhaps in Central Australia. Final!y ve» weeks later, Mr. Valen- tech was saying “Probably we wiil never see Fready again. . we nope, perhaps in ten or twen!y years, we might see him again” ll. VALENTICH NEVER FLEW BE- YOND CAPE OTWAY. HE SECRETLY LANDED ON THE GROUND, BE- CAUSE NO ONE TRACKED OR SAW OR HEARD HIS FLIGHT OVER CAPE OTWAY. Arguments in Favor: tie only have Valentich's word that he pursued tis pre-tited tight plan. He was not lracked on radar during the emergency even though the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) cid a radar scan when Valentich asted for identificatior of the UFO. Arguments Against: 1) The official explanation for the Cessna's failure to show up on radar was that 1! was flying too tow. While the CCA long-range radar has a 160-nautical mile range. and Valen- tich was enly 95 miles out, he was flying at 4500 feet, and the radar coverage that far out started at 6000 feet up ! the pilor's estimate of height tor the UFO was right (1000 feet hiaher stl), it would also fail to show up Counter-Argument in Favor: fhen why did the search planes show up in that area on radar when they wore only flying at 152 meters (500 feel) altitude? Counter-Argument in Favor: The raiar conditions are variable; sometimes King island itself, oniy 215 meters above sea level, shows up on the screen. False targets were showing up Oct. 21 from a tempera- ture inversion. No photographic record o! the scope was mace. The RAAF al Laverton was no help here, either, as they also rety on OCA Mel- bourne rasar for such tracking. Once the Cessna left Melbourne's con trolled anspace, it was not spe- 6 citically tracked Arguments in Favor (resumed): 21 No one witnessed the plane trem tho ground, despite reguests for such information by the DCA, Tte fight ptan called for Vatentich to fly right over the Caps Otway ligtt- house; yet despite the clear weather, the tighthouse Keeper never heard a plane at 7 PM. Bass Stiait fisnesmen naither saw nor heard anything. Y in the 1972 Tiger Moth disay- pearance, 22 accounts were secured from passerby ground witnesses along the Tasmaniar, ccast 3) There is an uncontirmed repon that Victorian police received a report that a light plane made a mysterious late-night tanding in the westerm d:s- trist, not far from Cape Otway, al about the same time. 4) Valentich did not ask the King Island airport to illuminate the rur wav before leaving Moorabbir. Th. was done by Melbourna Flight Ser vise once the UFO got reporteg. Nor can the landing lights be swrtched or automaticalty by radio signa!s fiom approaching aircraft. Normal pro- cedures calis tor the pilot tc zrrange tris before leaving. Furthermore, press accounts suggest that Valen tich never arranged more than a one-way fhght path. | sounds like he never expected to make it there! 5) Police have found no tishermen or King Istand who had arranged to sei! Valentich crayfisn .. the stated reason for the flight 6) Vatentich's long-range Cessna vias carrying 300 litres cf fuel. Con- suming fuel at a rate cf 45 litres! hour, he could have «ept on flying for a total of 6 hours at a maxmum speed of 130 knots tor a total flying range of 1040 km. The planned trip was only supposed to last one rmour anú nine minutes. Why all the extra fuel? Did he realiy fly somewhere else and that's why he didn't show ur on radar when Cape Otway was checked? Total Flight Range Cagailsty Us rs 149, p.6)

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Argumenls Against: 2: Valentuch's friends sa. silots c mioniy “rounded the too at € Otway once the inghtnc use was sn sight without actually tiving over at That Tiger Moth disappearu a day ugnt at lunchtime 3+ Victorian police aftitais denied that they have information on a mys- tenous plane langing «An earter press account hal sorior police ofticials neither contirming nor deny- «rg the repor). Depart nt ot Trans- port spckesmen saiu « puld ve very estticuit to pull off secr a tandrigo *e have no reason to beiteve the air- craft was anywhere else but near Cape Otway when the message was recewed 4) According to Mike Duggin of the University of Sydney, Valentich did tile a carefully-prepared 2-way tight plan. Its strange tnat the didnt request the lights, although he aro unly make one nignt fight in the past 5t Researcher Paul Norman went to Curne, King Istand ana deliberately waited until 8 PM to check if crayfish cuuly be secured withou! à pre. atranges order. He had no difficulty tirding tishermes who were happy to compiy 6; Alinost ail tight aicraft tanks are kept toppeuv up at Moorabtin, even tor traming and prartice around the tocal circuit. What Is strange I5 that Melbourne cid not aduisa Valentich te switch to another fuel tank as soon as he encountered engine dit- ficulty IV. THE STRONGEST PROOF THAT VALENTICH IS HOAXING A DIS- APPEARANCE LIES IN THE PRESS ANNOUNCEMENTS BY 16-YEAR OLD SHOP ASSISTANT, RHONDA RUSHTON, FRED'S GIALFRIEND. IT'S EVEN KNOWN THAT SHE WENT TO AN APOLLO BAY MOTEL TO MEET HIM THERE! Arguments in Favor: 1 World-wide attention was given to Miss Rushton's press statement vwe all Anow Fred is alive and we have tola the authorities this, Dutitis alt top secret now,” Miss Rushton, who said she had known Fred tor six months, told the AUSTRALIAN, “1 Anow Fred is ative We will see him soon.” The Department ot Transpon announced 1t would not divuige the cetails of her contidential disclo- sures Miss Rushton sai! that after teling her story to unnarmed authori- tes. she was told noi tC teii anyone else The next day. she dismissed the UFO theory. saying. “t think ne has landed somewnere not crasneg, «hed te Cap Otway v to retum redicved and 2) Tne VIEEKEND AUSTRALIAN (Oct 28-29) declared that on Thurs- day. Oct 26. Rhonda nad walked into the Bay Pines Motel at Apollo Bay (100 miies from Melbourne) She asked mutel owner Mrs Joyce Ford to sec fred Valentich. The paper quoted Mrs. Ford as saying, “when | said there was nobody by that name staying here, she seemed ready to cry. She said she had srranged to meet himat 7 o'clock. She just stood there for several minutes as 1f she couidr:1 believe me and didn't want to leave! 1 Arguments Against: 1) The Outober 29th SUNDAY PRESS quoted Fred Valentich's mother about Rnonda Rushton: “He met (her) six months ago through fnends, Ethink and they have been go:ng out regularly over sinco He liked her very much Lu! as ta: as | know there were no marrage plans.” Fred's tfalher took a msre aggressive stand in the SUNDAY OBSERAVER (Oct. 29), stating that Miss Rushton's allusions to the case beirg a hoax were “very upsetting”. “Fred didn't see her very often. She's just got cn the band- wagon and the reports have besn very upsetting to the family.” 2) On subject of the “motel rendezvo Rnonda told the SUN- DAY PRESS. “i had only gone there to satisfy my own mind about what had happened.” To another paper, She said. "Il only went there to see what the bush was like where ne might have tanded.” indeed, Rnonda went on to search the beaches and rugged bush for two days, aided by her parents and a group of Valen- tich's Inends from the Air Training Corps Miss Rushton envisioneg the lost pilot às having returned to Cape Otway and tanded, possibly injurea 7 somewhere She said Valentich often told her he was "scarea of water". “If he had any trouble, he would have headed for land, that's for sure." This 15 contrary, o! course, to Valentich's last stated intention. Another friend of Fred Vatentich was in the Apoio Bay area, and told lhe Melbourne AGE. “we know Fred is alive. He's up in the Fillis but we can't get to him.” Sgt. B. C. Klemm ot lhe Apollo-Bay Police commented on the terrain: “Thero are old abandoned logging towns up there you can'! even get to. It could take days for a man to get out of there even if he could survive à plane crash.” Rhonda Rushton suc- ceeded In chartering a Iwin-engined plane which retraced the flight path Valentich used one week earlier between Cape Otway and Lorne ita the NE). Scanning miles of forest wilh binoculars, Rhonda responded with awe when she saw the thick, desolate terrain. Returning nome empty-handeg, she told the Oct. 29th SUNDAY PRESS, “| have nc plans to 5 P- Wso

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do any more searching myself. | stut have this feeling that he was forced to land and is lying out there warting to be rescued. | know he's ative. | just know it,” 3) Another of Vatentich's searchers said. "It's nothing to do with drugs | saw him flatten a blcke once just be- cause the bloke offered him drugs.” 4) Finally, too much lime has passed for this to be a froax that would climax in a miraculous reappearance. The case seemed semular tu the Travis Walton abduction at first, but Walton reappeared after onty a few days. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORT IS COVERING UP SOME OF THE TRUTH OF THIS CASE. ONLY EDITED PORTIONS OF THE TAPED CONVERSATION ARE BEING RELEASED: Argumentis In Favor: 1) The department s prêss cflicer, Ken Williams. sai “The tape cer- tainly runs longer than six minutes (the length covered *'; the transcript- Ed ). M could be half sn hour. We re- leaseg only the highhignts.” (Ironical- k. the name o! one ot the Spokesmen who “refused to release the tapes” .. was Mr. Nixon!) 2) The transcript shows the pot at 7:09 as saying: "It's not an aircraft, mas... 4Break in transmission), A “EQurce”, unnamed by the Melbourne AUSTRALIAN newspaper, indicated there was no break 1: transmission and that Mr. Valentich went on to describe the UFO in detail 3 Mr. Nixon, spokesman for the Minister ot Transpoit in Canberra, said, "we believe that air safety in- vestigators can probably come to tetter conclusions than the press. We have Our Own views on what hap- penec and they certainly cont im clude UFOs.” (emphas'!s added). The Melbourne Deparimen: of Transport added that st was dezartment policy not to release tapes during an ac- cident investigatten Arguments Against: 1; The Department of Transport demed that it withhelá anyihing per- tinentto the UFO enconter despite newspaper reports to the contrary (Christchurcn STAR, Oct. 25) The Sixeminute transcript, "hey claimed, 1s complete from beguining to end The transmission breahs were Just that, probably Vaientich's finger holding the micrcphone while Icok- ing away. The rest of the tape simply records his departure from Moorab- bin up to the start of tha encounter 2) Guido Valentich asked to hear tha tape to assure himself that nothing had been hidden. The priot's father stated that what he heard was the same as the transcript, he didn't be- lieve anything was missing PREMISE 46: VALENTICH'S DIS- APPEARANCE WAS A BIZARRE SUICIDE. Arguments In Favor: 1) Many of the features suggestirg a hoax (failure to cafl for tanding ughts. the claim that he only filed a onc-way flight plan, etc.) also sup- port the iuea that he neve: intended to returo. 2) Judgirg by their quotes in tne press, Valentich's family and girl fneng were told different stories regarding tis return. Miss Rushton told the papers that he wyes supposed tc come back the same night to take nerio a Cisco. The time she states tor his return varies in ditrerent pross accounts (7 PM in tne DAILY TELEGRAPH, “7:30 PM" in the SUNDAY TELEGRAPH and "8 PM” acverding to Harry Griesburg), but the pilot could never havo made it tack before 9 PM. Converseiy, he told his parents he intended to get back at 10 o'clock. “We were expect- ing him home,” Mr. valenticn saia, "because another tamily was having a sociat runion and he was coming, too.” Was he handing themalla lina? Arguments Against: 1) Gary Groci, a famiiy friend, stated that “Freddie was à very stable per- sonaiity He had'a very happy family lite. a mce girlfriend and was doing what he loved to do, which was flying. He enjoyed lite far too much às want to kill himself” 2) Rhonda Rushton: “He was a very happy person and had lots of trends 3) Why would he have pocketad $200 that morning (according to his parents) to purchase tne craytish if he wasn't planning to Jand? Obviousiy, there is no clear way to chovse among alt of these possi- brities with the information at hand. The Department ot Transport says their files are “oper” on this case im the absence of any “new leads”, and with good reason. Strictly speaking, this case is à single-witness Nou- turma! Light (or CE |. if you're not too fussy about distance requirements); furthermore, the witness is unavail- able! Were it not for the dramatic implications of that “unavailability”, the case would be minor in stature, instead of being hailed as the new “Capt. Mantel!" or "Col. Coyne” epi- sode of 1978. Tnis case makes the 19th UFO entry in the Center tor UFO Studies computerizad UFOCAT ref- erence—ou! of 70,000 separate sightings--whera a pilot was killed —— — arx 135, po8/30 or disappeared foliowing a UFO en- counter. in addition, the failure of tha engine could De construed as typszal of the “EM” (electro-magnetic) inter- terence effects noted in over ECO cases. Say Guido Valentich, “Ive been told that UFOs can cause a plane's engine to feact the way my son reported his was They seem to have some sort of electrical field which atfects engines.” “Seems”, of Course, is the key word here, sinse the other cases usualiy had the bero- tit ot an engine qr elentrical system that can be restarted once the UFO departs the immeitate area There are othe! arguments much harder to debate, naturally: the prospect of window reflections cr, less unlikely, hailucination, leadirg toa crash Yet ts already safe to suspect that the filos on this remars- abie adventure will be open . forever. when Southern Air Services tits out their insurance claim on the lo: 5 cf their $43,060 Cessna, what will tney list as the cause of lhe toss? ? ? 2 WERE OTHER UFO SIGHTINGS LINKED TO THE VALENTICH UFO? Bass Strait has been the scene of UFO sighiings throughout the 20th century. Back in 1896, hundreds o! people were reporting 'cigar Shaped” objects flying over the Strait Fred Valentich's sighting tughlighted six weers ot UFO reports from this region, witn reports sub- mrtted to the King Island police and the istand's local paper. Sgt. J. Woodward of Currie, King Island was notified of strange lights appearing to the north of the island. An air and Sea search was established but no source of the fiara-tike Lights was found. Sept. 12th saw the sighting of “oval lights" which It vp the area Ike “aylght, as seen on numeross dc: casions by a nurse in the company o! cthers. These lights also disap peared when the witnesses went ou! 0 Investigate A number o! UFO sightinga were disciosed to the press (and local UFO groups) which occurred qn the same day as Fred Valentich's dis- appearance. Summaries of these cases appear below in chrorological order. (ocrnt. on p. 10)

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WHAT WAS THAT METALLIC NOISE? No progress was made in identi- fying the nature of the metallic noise heard at the end of Fred Valentich's transmission. After the pilot said his last words ("Delta Sierra Juliet, Mel- bourne...“jhe heid the microphone open for 17 seconds. It was here that the noises were heard. Although the Department of Transport won't play the tape to the public while the in- Quiry is underway, they have played it back to Vatentich's father, Guido According to the elder Valentich, Fred seemed fairly calm until the very last call he made; then “his voice seemed to diminish in strength as if he was gasping or choking". Guido Valentich then heard the metallic noise being broadcast and likened it to a microphone swinging freely and banging against something. He feels Fred might have collapsed with his finger still holding down the button on the mike and it was his am swinging. Other opinions have been ventured. One Department of Trans- port report described the noise as “two empty beer cans being banged together”. The controller who was in contact with Valentich, Steve Robey, said “it sounded like the rapid keying of a mike.” A more dramatic ap- praisal in the press had the noise being “typical of a plane landing on the water like the metal being torn off the bottom.” The Department of Transport feels that the “open microphone” breaks throughout the transmission oc- curred when Valentich turned to look out of the window while holding the button down. FRED VALENTICH: A PERSONAL PROFILE Fred Valentich got out of bed on Oct. 21 at 7:30 AM, the time he always got up. He showered, shaved and conned a pair of jeans and a blue, open-neck shirt. Alter eating a gnt breakfast of toast and coffee, he | left his parents, telling them he would probably be back late and not to worty. When he left the house, he took $200 with him to buy the cray- tisn from King Island fishermen Then ne drove to the disposal store on Puckle St. in Moonee Ponds where he worked as assistant manager. Arriving at work at 9 AM, he met the owner of the store. Dick Williams and talked about sports. His normal Guties were checking stock, sweep- ing up and serving customers. Fred's empioyer told the SUNDAY PRESS that “Fred was very quiet that day, but then again he was quiet most of the time, He was the type of bloke | who never spoke uniess he had something to say. On this particular day, he seemed cheerful enough. If there was something bothering him, he was hiding it well enough. The onty thing | remember was that he was very anxious to finish work. “He mentioned something about fiying over to King Island and he seemed very excited. Vil never forget his last words as he walked outside He looked up at the clear, blue sky and said. It's going to be a nice day to go flying.” Then Fred attended a 3%-hour class in meteorology at Moorabbin Airport, which ended at 6 PM. Iron- ically, he had taken with him a book filled with a collection of UFO and “space” clippings in it. He was still mn good spirits when he chatted with a few friends before walking over to the Cessna he rented .. . and at 6:19 PM, VH: DSJ was airborne—for the last time Fred Valentich, the otdest of four children. was born in Melbourne shortly after his parents migrated from Trieste, Italy in 1957. His father, Guido. is a design draftsman who met his wife on the voyage out In 1955. Fred grew up In his home town of Avondale Heights a tall, skinny boy with wavy black hair. A former teacher at Keilor High School des- cribed him as quiet, friendly and popular. "He wasn't what you'd call a brilliant student but he was a determined kid who seemed to have made up his mind what he wanted to do inlife at a very early ago." ... meaning flying His parents agree that he wanted to be a pilot before he was 12 years old. “Once | took him down to Moorabbin and we went up in an aeropiane and ever since then he wanted to be a pilot," his father said. “It didn't take much notice until he was 17 and joined the Air Training Corps.” His mother, Alberta, said that despite his other hobbles, “flying was the thing that made him the most happy. At first we tried to convince him to give up the idea be- cause we felt it was too dangerous. But he was so keen on it, he even- tually talked us into fetting him go for his private license. In fact, he wanted his commercial pilot's ii- cense so bad, he became terrified of faiting the course. “He was very superstitious, too, and for this reason he avoided telling many people that he was going for it. Somehow he believed that this coutd bring him bad luck.” Mrs. Valentich had even taken on a part-time job as a shop assistant to help pay for her son's commercial pilot course. “Il didn't mind making the sacrifice. We are a close family who tike to help each other. We all wanted Freddie to succeed. We were very proud of him.” His mother described him as a shy young man who had difficulty talking to people, especially girls. Miss Rhonda Rushton was a rare example of dating for him

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CASE TIME PLACE NUMBER OF WITNESSES DURATION k 2PM Cure, King Island 1 (young woman) 1O min, APPEARANCE: Silver "goltball -shape. 2 times the size O* a small ptane, BEHAVIOR: Seen 70º up en sky: moved out o! a clouá, east to west toward the sea, very high up. After moving away a d'stance. it stopped and tacked up slGwiy “2 3PM Corno, Geelong 13 teerage boys 10-15 min. APPEARANCE: Two cigars connected by sh:ny pipes. No wings seen. Metallic silk color agains: a bright blue sky BEHAVIOR: very Slow fravel giros everhead, moving west to east. “3 4 15 PM Cape Otway 2imormer & son) APPEARANCE: Twc ciga's wilh fins a! the rear—no wings—brighl, gieaming silver, which became white BEHAVIOR: Coming from the SW, 75º up. F'ving in close, precise formation. Then they swept north with “pet-ihe” speed (FREO VALENTICH SIGHTING HERE, FROM 7:06 to 7:12 PM) "4 7:10 PM Frankstor 3imother & 2 kids) APPEARANCE: Red:pinki white “skyrocket” BEHAVIOR: Seen up over "the hitis in the cast. (1 mite of driving! "5 710 PM Brooklyn 2 (bank mgr. & wife) (see text) APPEARANCE: Sotid mass ot light witn 4 vivid projections. Green flashing lights on the Inft. Color ol “a star” BEHAVIOR: Hovering directly before car at low angle. Moved at a slow pace and was not gone from sight until the couple drove to nearby Ge Geelorg. “6 8:15 PM Bateman's = Bay (30 km Ny 2 (couple) APPEARANCE: Bright. white object seen againsfa clear sky BEHAVIOR: “impossible acrobatic completely distinguished from pianes, Heading towards Sydney. 5 min “7 9PM Warrnamboo! 2 (housewives) more than 30 min APPEARANCE: Five times a star, red/orange BEHAVIOR: Movering at first in the SE ata 75º angle, then it moved quick!y to the SW and stopped 10º up. H taded, tett a yoliow glow, and lit up again An RAAF spokesnan said they OE — had «eceived 11 sighiing reports n tour days foltowing the pilots dis- appearance. The Victcrian UFO Re- search Society recened 45 reports by Nov. 1 The RAAF 19 Canberra said they have thorough!y checked 1900 Australian sightings since 1960 ASE LOCATIONS (x-Valentich) i | While there had been no annual in. crease in reports in recent years, the Í number of sightings deemed “un- 2 mtentitiabie” had risen trom 3º% four memo eo (5a 83 e years ago to 10% this year NOT TT Ç eme => | 1 | 1 | o ' | By : | | RN, i | N Loo Cases? — em Lol -—— Case 85 = mem 10 Mex, APS, pe datão