FEBRUARY 1997
01.02.97 BROKEN HILL, NSW 2145 & 2151hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 9:45 p.m., in Broken Hill, people reported "sighting two bright lights traveling from the northwest to the southeast." At 9:51pm another man saw a glowing object fly from the southeast to the northwest, then reverse direction and "shoot off to the southeast."
02.02.97 WOORI YALLOCK, VIC 2150hrs (CE1)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
On Sunday, February 2, 1997, at 9:50 p.m., witnesses in Woori Yallock, Victoria reported "a bright white light" moving rapidly "from west to east in the northern sky, moving very fast, taking about 40 seconds" to reach the eastern horizon.
03.02.97 ALBURY, NSW 2130hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
On Monday, February 3, 1997, at 9:30 p.m., residents of Albury, spotted "a white light traveling from north to south in a zig zag fashion."
03.02.97 PORT MACQUARIE, NSW 2200hrs (CE1)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
"A large orange object" appeared over Port Macquarie, NSW at 10 p.m. The UFO, which at first people took for a helicopter, "held position in the sky for about ten minutes. Before the object shot off and disappeared, several smaller yellow lights" emerged from the underside of the object.
04.02.97 YASS, NSW 0246hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
2:46 a.m. on Tuesday, February 4, 1997, people in Yass, NSW saw "a bright orange illumination traveling across the sky." They estimated it to be "about 1/2 to 1/4 the size of the moon." The UFO flew away to the northwest.
04.02.97 GOSFORD, NSW EVENING (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
Witnesses sighted "a large blue-white light" near the Moonie Bridge. The UFO was "close to the ground" and an estimated 200 to 300 feet (60 to 90 meters) in diameter.
05.02.97 RAAF BOGAN GATE (nr.PARKES) & NGUNNAIUAL, NSW 2100 & 2125hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 9 p.m. on February 5, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) personnel at Bogan Gate, near Parkes, N.S.W., 275 kilometers (165 miles) west of Sydney, spotted a "white golden illumination" crossing the sky and heading west. Nearly a half-hour later, at 9:25 p.m., civilian eyewitnesses at Ngunnaiual reported "orange and flashing illuminations" in "an arch over Orion's belt."
06.02.97 COOMA, NSW 0535hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 5:35 a.m. on Thursday, February 6, 1997, people in Cooma, NSW, spotted a UFO arrayed with lights heading east.
06.02.97 PERTH, WA 1930hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 7:30 p.m., people in Perth, Western Australia, saw a hovering "blue-green tube- shaped object" in the day's fading daylight "before any star could be seen.
07.02.97 HOBART (WESTBURY), TAS 0900hrs (DO)
(Source: TUFOIC Newsletter July 1997 - Edition 81)
A sighting with similarities to the Northern Flap of May/June 1996 occurred about 9am on February 7th at Westbury. Investigator Jacob Willard interviewed the witnesses later that day. The object was first seen by C from the bathroom window, calling to his older sister they then went out into the garden for a better view. A white cigar with some gray below was visible in the clear blue southern sky, it was moving slowly from west to east. Young C ran off to find some binoculars. His sister continued to watch as it suddenly changed to a vertical position. It then made an instant increase in speed descending straight down and being lost from view behind nearby buildings. The object made no noise and left no vapour trail. The sighting lasted 3 to 4 minutes in excellent viewing conditions. A number of cases from the West Tamar and Launceston area in 1996 also involved a white cigar to pencil like shape, all the sightings occurring on days with clear blue skies. In some cases the object was seen in a vertical position, whilst its disappearance at times seemed to be instantaneous. Jacob Willard TUFOIC
07.02.97 MAFFRA, VIC 2125hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 9:25pm, people in Maffra, 60 kilometers (36 miles) west of Bairnsdale, sighted "a spinning yellow fireball" heading west towards Melbourne.
07.02.97 BAIRNSDALE, VIC 2100hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 9:20pm, a "spinning yellow fireball" zipped across the sky, heading west, over Bairnsdale, just above the southern coast's Ninety Mile.
07.02.97 BARWON HEAD, VIC 2300hrs (CE1)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 11pm, people in Barwon Head, sighted a UFO they described as "a moving and flashing yellow- red fireball illumination with a (dark) triangular shape on top." The UFO traveled in a north-northwest direction at about 15 degrees above the horizon.
08.02.97 SYDNEY (OATLEY, KOGARAH & HURSTVILLE), NSW 2045hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 8:45 p.m; the Sydney suburbs of Oatley, Kogarah and Hurstville along the St. George's River saw "a green-to-yellow fireball with no tail traveling south in the eastern sky (about) 30 degrees above the horizon. There was no sound. The object suddenly stopped and hovered." Witnesses estimated the UFO to be the size of "an AAA battery held at arm's length
09.02.97 BRISBANE, QLD 0040hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 12:40am on Sunday, February 9, 1997, further up the east coast in Brisbane, witnesses reported "an orange illumination traveling at the speed of a fighter plane" in the eastern sky at 30 degrees above the horizon." The UFO was headed south and soon disappeared among the stars of the Southern Cross.
09.02.97 MELBOURNE (ST KILDA), VIC 2125hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 9:25pm, "a yellow-red fireball" was seen in St.Kilda, a bayfront suburb on the south side of Melbourne. The UFO was headed north and "flying beneath the cloud cover" at an estimated speed of 800 kilometers per hour (480 mph).
09.02.97 BRISBANE (SUNNYBANK), QLD 2330hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 11:30pm, Queensland had its second sighting of the flap when a UFO flew over Sunnybank, a suburb 14 kilometers (9 miles) south of Brisbane. Witnesses described it as "a yellow-orange fireball" 10 to 15 miles away, moving in a 45-degree downward arc (top left to bottom right).
10.02.97 BRISBANE, QLD 0400hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 4am "a blue and red oval-shaped illumination was seen in the western sky (about) 30 degrees above the horizon. It appeared to be three times the size of the largest stars in the sky."
11.02.97 BRISBANE (MT GRAVATT), QLD 0002hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 12:02am, police in Brisbane received telephone reports of a huge UFO described as "a large red-pink illumination" near Mount Gravatt. The UFO hovered about 300 meters (1,000 feet) above the witnesses' heads for five minutes.
11.02.97 BRISBANE, QLD 0200hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 2am, "a series of lights in a triangular formation" were seen by Brisbane residents heading south toward the air base RAAF Amberley. The lights appeared to fly in either a V-formation or a /\-formation.
11.02.97 ADELAIDE, SA 2330hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
On February 11, at 11:30 p.m., the city of Adelaide reported its first sighting of the flap. The UFO was "a ball of fire that had red and blue associated with it.
12.02.97 TAREE, NSW 0100 & 0230hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 1am, people in reported seeing "a slow-moving orange-red fireball heading southwest." The UFO made no discernible sound. At 2:30 a.m., people again noticed "a fireball traveling in the sky." As the UFO passed over, TV sets suddenly switched on without being touched by owners. After the UFO left, the TV sets all shut off at once.
14.02.97 MELBOURNE (CRAIGIEBURN), VIC 2315hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 11:15pm, residents of Craigieburn, a southern suburb of Melbourne, saw "a bright disc-shaped light" hovering above a paddock. Witnesses also saw what looked like automobile headlights in the paddock while the UFO hovered. Four or five seconds after the UFO flew away, the "headlights" winked out.
15.02.97 MELBOURNE (PARKINSVILLE), VIC 0440hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 4:40am, residents of Parkinsville, another suburb of Melbourne, saw a star-sized "red-blue illumination in the southwest sky."
15.02.97 DUNCRAIG, WA MIDDAY (UNEXPLAINED PHENOMENA)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
In Duncraig, WA, near Perth, people outdoors at 12 noon reported a weird "solar effect." Sunlight suddenly dimmed in an "eclipse-like effect" although the sky was perfectly clear. The effect lasted for approximately five seconds. No aircraft were seen or heard overhead. The phenomenon remains unexplained.
15.02.97 LEWIS MOUNTAIN RANGE, SA 2025hrs (CE1)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 8:25pm, people in the Lewis mountain range of South Australia spotted "a cigar-shaped object traveling high in the sky from west to east. It appeared to be four times the size of a jumbo jet." Not a sound was heard from the object. One man took a color photograph of the UFO with his camera.
15.02.97 MELBOURNE (ELTHAM), VIC 2130hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
Residents reported three separate sightings of "light illumination" UFOs. The first was at 9:30pm, with the light headed southeast. The second was at 9:40pm and headed east. The third and final UFO was at 9:45pm and flewoff to the southeast.
15.02.97 SYDNEY (QUAKERS HILL), NSW 2325hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 11:25pm the night of February 15, people in Quakers Hills, near Sydney, reported seeing "an oval orange-red illumination heading northwest towards Richmond." The UFO stopped and hovered on several occasions during its ten-minute flyover and "appeared the size of a grape held at arm's length."
16.02.97 BRISBANE, QLD 0005hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 12:05am observers in Brisbane spotted "an orange- white illumination appearing in and out of clouds" just west of the seaside city.
16.02.97 ADELAIDE, SA 0320hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 3:20am, people in Adelaide saw "a bright whiteillumination traversing the sky, then (it) suddenly stopped. When itbegan moving again, it gave off a series of flashes." To some, the UFO"appeared as a cross shape with one light at each end."
17.02.97 DUNCRAIG, WA (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
On Monday, people in Duncraig, WA reported a second weird "solar effect" identical to the one on February 15. A similar incident also took place in Duncraig on October 18, 1996.
17.02.97 PINE GAP (nr.ALICE SPRINGS), NT 2320hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 11:20 p.m. Monday night, February 17, "an extremely bright orange fireball" flew "from northeast to southeast right over" the Australian Space Agency base outside of Alice Springs, in the Northern Territory. The UFO's altitude was 20,000 to 30,000 feet and it was "three to four times larger than the stars." It was last seen heading for the Oorarginna mountain range.
17.02.97 MILDURA, VIC 2330hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 11:30 p.m., "a very large and bright orange illumination" appeared over Mildura. Witnesses reported a "large shape" poised above the orange glow. The UFO flew away to the northwest, stopping a few times before reaching the horizon.
18.02.97 PROSPECT, SA 0530hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 5:30am, a "large white illumination traveling at (high) speed to the north" was seen. Its speed was estimated at 300 kilometers per hour (180 mph).
18.02.97 MELBOURNE (WERRIBEE), VIC 0630hrs (PHYSICAL TRACE)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
Radio station 3MMM stunned its listeners by reporting a scorched crop circle in a paddock on the outskirts of Werribee, a suburb southwest of Melbourne. The circle was seen from the air by a private pilot at 6:30am, who radioed the tower. The scene was investigated by Melbourne ufologist Peter Wanliss, who reported, "It was about 30 feet (10 meters) across with the grass flattened in a clockwise direction. The centre part seemed very symmetrical. Just within the perimeter of the circle were six circular indentations, each about a foot (0.3 meters) across and four inches (10 centimeters) deep. These were also located in exact symmetrical locations around the circle. The bottom of each hole was slightly parabolic and bore a cross imprint that was impressed further in." However, Wanliss said he believes the circle to be a hoax. He noted that the "brown burn marks appear to have been painted on" and "the imprints looked dug out rather than 'pressed' by a solid weight."
18.02.97 EAST GIPPSLAND (NICHOLSON), VIC 1545hrs (PHYSICAL TRACE)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 3:45pm, a man in Nicholson, East Gippsland, Vic. reported a "scorched earth circle" similar to the one in Werribee.
19.02.97 SYDNEY (NORTH HEAD), NSW 0530hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 5:30am, "three or four intensely bright orange ball illuminations" were seen rotating around each other as they crossed the sky over North Head. The UFOs were moving extremely fast.
19.02.97 SYDNEY (PADDINGTON), NSW 0645hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 6:45am, three large orange UFOs "with some burning coming from them" were seen over the suburb of Paddington.
19.02.97 ADELAIDE (MOUNT BARKER), SA 2110hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 9:10pm, "a very large glowing illumination" was seen in the sky over Mount Barker, 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of Adelaide.
19.02.97 GEELONG, VIC 2120hrs (CE1)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 9:20pm, people reported seeing a large "banana-shaped or crescent orange illuminated object" traveling in a northwesterly direction, headed for Ballarat.
19.02.97 SYDNEY (ANNANDALE), NSW 2130hrs (CE1)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 9:30pm, two UFOs were sighted over Annandale, a suburb of Sydney, heading west. They were described as flattened discs, something like a drummer's cymbals.
19.02.97 ADELAIDE, SA 2145hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 9:45pm, "five bright yellow- white lights" crossed the sky over Adelaide. Three lights flew in a triangular formation, while the other two smaller lights flew parallel to the triangle. In the night's second event, one light flew away to the north, the other to the south. Then the lights turned, crossed each other's path and disappeared.
19.02.97 MELBOURNE (FRANKSTON), VIC 2320 & 2330hrs (NL)
(Source: UFO Roundup - Volume 2, Number 8)
At 11:20pm a group of "three white lights" were seen speeding over Frankston. They flew at an altitude of 300 to 400 meters (1,000 to 1,320 feet). Ten minutes later, at 11:30pm, "a large yellow white light" flew over Frankston, heading due west.
21.02.97 BRISBANE (MANLY WEST), QLD 2235hrs (CE1)
Witness at Manly West observed a flaming object in the north western sky. He said it was the size of his thumb at arm's length with a tail. It had a green center with blue and orange at the edges. It flew 45 degrees straight toward the western sky.