Trainee engineers from the former Royal Aircraft Establishment
put the nation on high alert in 1967 with their flying saucers

Masterminds of a national alien hoax cooked up in Farnborough in 1967 are holding a reunion on the eve of its 50th anniversary. A band of mischievous trainee engineers from the MoD’s ( Ministry of

By Fergus McEwan www.getsurrey.co.uk 8-27-17

Defence ) Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) in Farnborough were behind the audacious prank.

The ringleaders, aged just 21 at the time, came up with the idea to raise money for charity as part of the college’s Rag Week.

They also wanted to see how the authorities would react if there was an alien invasion, and to find out just how prepared Britain was.