too late

This is my first thread on this forum:

I am a ex UK commercial pilot/IR, about three years ago I saw a sighting in my back garden that lasted approx forty five mins, I decided not to report it at the time because off license issues, but now I think that time has come and gone.

Okay.

Thanks for letting us know.


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[edit on 30-6-2009 by elevatedone]

Give us a little more info.

What did you see? Describe it for us. Take us back there with you.

reply to post by KSPigpen


Saturday night about 23:30, three years ago I went out on the patio looking east, at what I estimate to be at about 3000, feet, although this is subjective, i saw about fifty lights quite small turning around in a helix motion, like a DNA strand, red, white, green, then the object would suddenly gain altitude, or lose altitude or move side to side, no noise.

I contacted Stanstead approach, they informed that they had closed down, but passed me on to Gatwick, Gatwick was also closed but their radar and tower were operating.

I described the object and approx height, I also informed them that it was about three miles south of the Lamborne VOR [ a navigational aid that marks airways and can give distance] They didn't take me seriously at first, but after a brief chat checked the picture and all was clear, no aircraft no object.

This was 23:30 so noise abatement was in force, so although i did not expect an aircraft, I thought something may show up.

One week later I explained the incident to a friend who lives about five miles away, south east of my position, he said he's daughter was having a slumber party that evening and called him up to look a some spinning lights, he didn't bother though but from their description, they had the same sighting, may be a coincidence, over to you.

Edit... how poor is my timing if I post the following only to come in after the post above?

No, guess that was it.

Thanks for dropping by.

[edit on 30-6-2009 by rich23]

Ok..so how long was the sighting?
Did these lights change shape or brilliancey(sp?)?
Did they stay the same color?
How far away would you estimate they were from your position?
Could they have been military or civilian or common floating aerial objects?(i.e. flares, lanterns, gliders...etc.)


I ask these as form questions...not to challenge you my friend.

Also, where were you, and how close to the nearest military base were you?


[edit on 30-6-2009 by djvexd]

reply to post by dan steely


Wow. You seem to have a lot of knowledge of aircraft type stuff...what with the VOR and all...were you scared?

I think I would be. Do you have an estimate of the size? Any noise?

You seemed sort of down in your first post. What's that about? Have you ever had any other sightings?

Anything since then?

reply to post by djvexd


Nearest service base is mildenhall, 90 miles away, the time lapse was 45 mins, where I am situated had a glider site ten miles away [ I used to fly gliders as well] but this base has moved to Kent, about 50 miles away, anyway gliders are not allowed to fly at night.

The VOR beacon is part of a S T A R [standard approach procedure into Heathrow] which I myself flown many times, the standard Private pilots chart, plus the standard SIDS [standard departure] plus all low level and high level airways charts show no reason for explained aircraft activity to occur, as I said in my post this was at 23:30 and because of noise abatement there should be no activity which was confirmed on radar.

The intensity of the lights was constant.

reply to post by KSPigpen


There was no noise, and how do you measure distance when you are looking above the horizon, with no reference behind it.

Put it this way if you did not know that the moon was 250,000 miles away what would you estimates it distance as it climbed above the horizon?

But, I had a reference from a friends house, so using vectors I would estimate three miles, at about 3-5 thousand feet, best I can do.

reply to post by dan steely


Thanks for sharing with ATS first, I would now proceed to contact MUFON now and report your sighting. Hopefully there have been others who have seen it in your area or even around the world. Too bad you have no picture, you may want to try and keep a camera or at least a camera phone (although the imaging on phones is horrid for the most part).

[edit on 6/30/2009 by jkrog08]