November 15, 1960 — nr. Launceston, Tasmania
10:40 a.m. A USAF B-57 Canberra reconnaissance aircraft operating out of RAAF Base East Sale, Victoria, Australia, encounters a UFO 15 miles north of Launceston, Tasmania. Capt. Douglas G. Ludlam and Capt. Joseph W. Ivins say it looks like a balloon about 70 feet in diameter and is flying at 35,000 feet, just below the B-57, and traveling at about 920 mph. It is in sight for 5–7 seconds before it disappears under the left wing. [Eberhart]
Sources:
Bill Chalker, “Australian A.F. UFO Report Files,” APRO Bulletin 30, no. 11 (December 1982): 4;
Brad Sparks, Blue Books Unknowns Catalogue, Case 1458, p. 285;
Jerome Clark, ‘Cressy Sighting’, The UFO Encyclopedia, 3rd Ed., p. 352;
RAAF file 580/1/1 Part 2 pp. 44-45;
Bill Chalker, “The Cressy Affair,” in UFOs Sub Rosa Down Under, Part Five, Project 1947, 1997;
Keith Basterfield, “Cold UFO cases - Stratospheric balloons Part 2” Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena - scientific research blog, November 16, 2010;