Pilot Frederick Valentich vanished without a trace while flying over Bass Strait. In his final radio transmission, he reported being followed by an unidentified aircraft behaving strangely before his transmission abruptly cut out. Despite extensive searches, neither Valentich nor his aircraft were ever found. His disappearance remains one of Australia’s most famous aviation mysteries, fuelling speculation of UFO encounters, mechanical failure, or even a hoax.

Join Holly & Matthew as they explore the disappearance of Frederick Valentich and the eerie theories that still surround it.

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Episodes mentioned within:

• Episode 003 - Australian Monsters: The Bunyip and the Yowie
• Episode 040 - The Bass Strait Triangle

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Sources cited:

• McGaha, James, and Joe Nickell. 2013. "The Valentich Disappearance: Another UFO cold case solved." The Skeptical Inquirer, November/December. Accessed August 24, 2021. https://skepticalinquirer.org/2013/11/the-valentich-disappearance-another-ufo-cold-case-solved/?%2Fsi%2Fshow%2Fthe-valentich-disappearance-another-ufo-cold-case-solved%2F.
• The Papua New Guinea Post-Courier. 1978. "Air crashes mystify searchers." October 24: 3. Accessed August 24, 2021. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/250281863.
• AAP. 1978. "UFO 'buzzes' lost pilot." The Papua New Guinea Post-Courier, October 23: 4. Accessed August 24, 2021. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/250281609.
• Watson, Reg. 1992. "Does Australia have its own Bermuda Triangle?" The Canberra Times, April 8: 23. Accessed August 24, 2021. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/122408572.
• The Canberra Times. 1978. "Son alive, says pilot's father." October 29: 3. Accessed August 24, 2021. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110919932.
• The Canberra Times. 1978. "Missing pilot reported UFO 'playing with Cessna'." October 23: 1. Accessed August 24, 2021. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110918336/12383760.

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