Hi all

A couple of years ago I posted here about the possibility that the Westall event
might have been something to do with a United States Air Force program called
Operation Crowflight. Crowflight flew U-2 and JB-57 (later RB57 and RB-57F)
aircraft, initially out of the RAAF base at East Sale, then from RAAF base
Laverton and the Department of Supply airfield at Avalon. The Operation started
in 1960 and ran until 1966. The first information I came across suggested the
possibility that it was going on when the Westall event happened.

Suggestions from people who saw the Westall UFO, that some of the personnel who
attended the site wore USAF uniforms, seemed to tie in with the possibility of
Crowflight involvement.

I have recently made time to re-visit the National Archives of Australia (NAA)
wesbite and take another, more in-depth, read of the files I had the NAA
digitise some years ago.

In particularly I studied formely "Secret" file 694/7/22 titled "United States
high altitude air sampling, 'Crowflight.'" My reading of papers on this file now
indicates that the Crowflight U-2 aircraft were withdrawn by 1 March 1965, and
that all Crowflight aircraft left Australia by the end of February 1966.

One U-2 did return to Australia in 1966, under the HICAT program. According to a
Bureau of Meteorology paper it flew 11 flights from RAAF Laverton between 19
July and 11 August 1966.

My conclusion now, based on a new study of the relevant Australian Government
files is that no Operation Crowflight were in Australia at the time of the
Westall event.

I know that to some members of this group,looking for other than UFO
explanations is a waste of time. However, my thoughts are that sceptics will
continue to put forwrad suggestions that a "secret aircraft" was the cause of
the Westall event. Better that we do the homework on this, so that we can
confidently state that, at least, no Crowflight aircraft were involved,
according to official Australian Government files.

I welcome constructive feedback on this post.