Bill Startup

Bill Startup was a New Zealand pilot who became involved in the famous Kaikoura UFO sightings of December 31, 1978. On that date, he observed and filmed luminous objects from an Argosy cargo aircraft off the Kaikoura coast of New Zealand's South Island, accompanied by journalist Quentin Fogarty and a camera crew from Melbourne TV.

Startup and the crew witnessed unidentified lights during the flight. The objects were simultaneously tracked on Wellington Air Traffic Control radar, and multiple witnesses on the flight deck observed the lights for many minutes.

The encounter produced significant documentation. The television crew filmed the objects in color on 16mm film, and Startup provided pilot testimony describing a very large white light tracking the plane.

The Kaikoura lights case stands out for its evidence as one of the most comprehensively documented UAP events, combining pilot testimony, radar tracking, and film footage.