Uploaded January 2017 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

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An excerpt from The Extraordinary.

Twenty-year-old Frederick Valentich disappeared while on a 125-mile (235 km) training flight in a Cessna 182L light aircraft over Bass Strait in Australia on Saturday, 21 October 1978.

Valentich radioed Melbourne Flight Service at 7:06 PM to report an unidentified aircraft was following him at 4,500 feet (1,400 m) and was told there was no known traffic at that level.

Valentich said he could see a large unknown aircraft which appeared to be illuminated by four bright landing lights. He was unable to confirm its type, but said it had passed about 1,000 feet (300 m) overhead and was moving at high speed.

Valentich then reported that the aircraft was approaching him from the east and said the other pilot might be purposely toying with him. Valentich said the aircraft was "orbiting" above him and that it had a shiny metal surface and a green light on it.

Valentich reported that he was experiencing engine problems. Asked to identify the aircraft, Valentich radioed, "It isn't an aircraft" when his transmission was interrupted by unidentified noise described as being "metallic, scraping sounds" before all contact was lost.

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