Episode 9: The Disappearance of Frederick Valentich episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 10, 2026 · 1H

Episode 9: The Disappearance of Frederick Valentich

from Signals from the Deep: Radio Hour · host James Huddleston

In October of 1978, Frederick Valentich flew from the mainland of Australia to a nearby island. Along the way, he encountered an aircraft that began following him. He radioed to air traffic control, but they said nothing was supposed to be there. When asked if he could identify the craft, he merely replied, “It’s not an aircraft.” Then his voice cut off, and all that was heard was a metallic scraping noise. No one ever saw him or his plane ever again. We’ll explore who Frederick Valentich was, what happened, and the theories. Join us as we dive deep into The Disappearance of Frederick Valentich!

In October of 1978, Frederick Valentich flew from the mainland of Australia to a nearby island. Along the way, he encountered an aircraft that began following him. He radioed to air traffic control, but they said nothing was supposed to be there. When asked if he could identify the craft, he merely replied, “It’s not an aircraft.” Then his voice cut off, and all that was heard was a metallic scraping noise. No one ever saw him or his plane ever again. We’ll explore who Frederick Valentich was, what happened, and the theories. Join us as we dive deep into The Disappearance of Frederick Valentich!

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Episode 9: The Disappearance of Frederick Valentich

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This episode was published on April 10, 2026.

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In October of 1978, Frederick Valentich flew from the mainland of Australia to a nearby island. Along the way, he encountered an aircraft that began following him. He radioed to air traffic control, but they said nothing was supposed to be there....

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