Ben examines Australia’s greatest aviation mystery, The Strange Disappearance of Fred Valentich. This incident involves a young 20 year old pilot who filed a flight plan at Moorabin for a night flight to King Island where he was to pick up some friends and then fly back. King Island is in the Bass Strait between Australia and Tasmania.

Fred took off in his single-engined Cessna 182 from Moorabin Airport, Melbourne, Australia. As he was flying along the Bass Strait at about 5000ft altitude he told Air Traffic Controllers in Melbourne that he could see a large aircraft below him and wanted to know if they were aware of any aircraft in the area. Melbourne ATC said there were no known aircraft in the area.
The object was orbiting him and then just vanished. The UFO then reappeared approaching from the south-west. Fredrick reported that his engine was rough-idling and coughing. Melbourne ATC asked what his intentions were and he replied , "My intentions are - ah - to go to King Island - ah - Melbourne. That strange aircraft is hovering on top of me again! It is hovering and it's not an aircraft."

The last transmission from Frederick Valentich was at 1912hrs and an alert was immediately declared. When at 1933hrs it was evident that the Cessna 182 (Delta Sierra Juliet) had not arrived at King Island a full scale Search and rescue operation was launched. After five days of searching no sign of the pilot or aircraft was found despite the fact that the Cessna was equipped with a radio survival beacon.

This mystery has fascinated the world for decades. Join us as Ben , examines exactly what happened.

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