Every unexplained sighting begins with someone asking a simple question:

"What did I just see?"

For me, that question began over 50 years ago.

As a 12-year-old student in Burwood, Victoria, I witnessed an unexplained silver, oval-shaped craft hovering silently above our school oval. A group of us watched it together before running inside to tell our teachers. That evening, the television news reported the object as a weather balloon.

But those of us who witnessed it knew it wasn't.

That experience stayed with me throughout my life and sparked a fascination with unexplained aerial phenomena that has never faded.

Over the years, I've had several other experiences, including while travelling in London and during my career filming corporate productions across Australia. On more than one occasion, I've witnessed something unusual that simply didn't resemble any aircraft I was familiar with.

After spending more than 35 years working professionally with cameras outdoors, around airports, public events and filming on location, I've become very familiar with the appearance and movement of helicopters, aeroplanes, drones and other conventional aircraft. Every now and then, however, I've witnessed or captured something that didn't fit those categories. Those moments only strengthened my curiosity and my determination to better understand what people are seeing.

My work in video production has also provided an unexpected insight into this subject.

Through my business, Atlantis Digital, thousands of people have trusted me with their precious memories by bringing in VHS tapes, camcorder recordings, film reels and other archival media for preservation. Over the years, many ordinary Australians, particularly older people with no interest in social media, artificial intelligence or creating hoaxes, have quietly shared extraordinary stories with me while dropping off their recordings.

Some have spoken about strange lights, unusual aerial objects or unexplained events they witnessed decades ago. Others have asked me to examine footage they had recorded on old VHS camcorders because they had captured something they simply couldn't explain.

These weren't people looking for publicity. They were everyday Australians genuinely trying to understand what they had seen.

Hearing these accounts year after year reinforced something I had already come to believe: there are many sincere, credible people who have experienced anomalies they cannot explain, and their stories deserve to be documented respectfully and investigated objectively.

That lifelong curiosity ultimately led to the creation of UFO Report Australia.

This website isn't about convincing people that every sighting involves extraterrestrial craft. It's about documenting what people are seeing, preserving evidence, investigating credible reports and encouraging open, respectful discussion.

Our goal is to approach every report with an open mind, allowing the evidence to guide the conclusions. Many sightings will likely have perfectly ordinary explanations. Others may remain unexplained. Both outcomes are valuable because every well-documented report contributes to a better understanding of what is happening in our skies.

With more than 35 years of professional experience in television, video production and digital media, I'm committed to applying the same standards of documentation, evidence collection and responsible reporting that I've used throughout my career.

Whether a report is ultimately identified or remains a mystery, every witness deserves to be heard, every piece of evidence deserves careful examination, and every investigation deserves an honest assessment.

Thank you for joining us on this journey.

Alain Michael
Founder, UFO Report Australia