Vic Bongiorno
March 30, 2026
The Valentich UFO Case
Pilot and author Vic Bongiorno investigates the 1978 disappearance of Frederick Valentich, who reported a UFO moments before vanishing. Exploring flight details, eyewitness accounts, and disputed explanations, Vic questions why the case—despite parallels to sightings like the Kaikoura Lights—remains dismissed and unresolved.
Vic Bongiorno’s aviation journey began in 1979 in Nairobi, Kenya, where he took his first flying lessons—an experience that sparked a lifelong passion for flight. After returning to Australia to complete his pilot’s license, Vic embarked on adventurous travels, including hitchhiking across the United States in winter and later purchasing an aircraft in Maine. In 1988, he flew it across the Rockies—after three attempts—to San Francisco, before shipping it back to Australia.
Drawn to the freedom of bush flying over commercial aviation, Vic eventually settled in Victoria’s Western District, where he launched a flying business at Apollo Bay, navigating the region’s famously challenging winds. His remarkable experiences and stories are explored in greater depth in his book.
Websites: https://www.bushpilots.com.au/