5 glowing, pale green spheres in a chevron formation slowly flying north to south
(Note: I am NOT sure of the exact date of this incident. It happened when I was an early teen, but I remember that I still didn't have my drivers licence yet (I got it at 15 years old). That narrows it down to 1976 to 1978. Sorry. It's the best I can do.
The month is also an estimate. I remember it being a moonless warm night.) My friend and I were about 14 and 17 respectively and on a clear night we were outside in his back yard looking through his telescope. To our north, we saw five pale green spherical lights that were in a chevron pattern traveling due south at about 100 MPH, or less (estimate). At first, it seemed like lights outlining a single craft; but as they passed directly over our heads, we could clearly make out stars in between the "Spheres" of light. We realized that we were looking at 5 separate craft.
We were both (and still are) aviation fanatics. Both were taking flying/glider lessons and I was a later a member of the Civil Air Patrol. These spheres made no sound, had no exhaust traces or trails. They were not aircraft of any kind as we knew them. To estimate their size, I would say that if you held up a baseball at arms length, it would approximate their size (each) to the eye.
My friends yard is on the highest hill in the area. So, as they passed south of us, we could get a better estimate of size/altitude. It was late night so this is still very much an estimate: They were about 50-60 feet in diameter each. They were about 50 feet apart and were about 600 to 800 feet in the air.
As they passed over the next neighborhood south of us, one of the spheres lit an incredibly white light. It first pointed out to the right (east), then immediately aimed (snapped)down at something on the ground. We were astonished! As we watched, the spheres continued to travel south and the beam stayed "locked" on whatever it was it was being aimed at. That is to say, the beam stayed "locked" on one position on the ground as the spheres continued to move away. We could see it (the light) changing angle and broadening as they (the spheres) got further away. It (the light)then snapped off as fast as it had came on.
Within 2 minutes, they had passed below the horizon/tree line to our south and we lost sight of them. Then all hell broke loose. 2 F-4 Phantom fighters came screaming in from the Gulf of Mexico just to the south of us and we heard a double sonic boom. The following few days had various reports in the St. Pete Times about jets going after an unidentified "small aircraft", people seeing strange lights in the sky along the coast and the windows in a Grants Department Store in New Port Richey, Florida had its front windows blown out by the sonic booms.
My friend called Macdill AFB the next day, which is a TAC base and asked about the goings on. He was told by a gentleman on the phone that the jets came from Tyndall AFB in Panama City. When asked why from so far away when we had the same jets at Macdill, his reply was something to the effect of: "We just wanted to get there the fastest, with the mostest." He gave no further help.
These booms also caused a crack in my friends ceiling that remains to this day. I've searched the St. Pete Times archives and can find nothing about the windows being blown out, or the sightings up and down the west coast that night, but I distinctly remember these events and the "shaken" locals of my (then) small seaside town.
((NUFORC Note: Witness indicates that date of the sighting is approximate. PD))
(Note: I am NOT sure of the exact date of this incident. It happened when I was an early teen, but I remember that I still didn't have my drivers licence yet (I got it at 15 years old). That narrows it down to 1976 to 1978. Sorry. It's the best I can do.
The month is also an estimate. I remember it being a moonless warm night.) My friend and I were about 14 and 17 respectively and on a clear night we were outside in his back yard looking through his telescope. To our north, we saw five pale green spherical lights that were in a chevron pattern traveling due south at about 100 MPH, or less (estimate). At first, it seemed like lights outlining a single craft; but as they passed directly over our heads, we could clearly make out stars in between the "Spheres" of light. We realized that we were looking at 5 separate craft.
We were both (and still are) aviation fanatics. Both were taking flying/glider lessons and I was a later a member of the Civil Air Patrol. These spheres made no sound, had no exhaust traces or trails. They were not aircraft of any kind as we knew them. To estimate their size, I would say that if you held up a baseball at arms length, it would approximate their size (each) to the eye.
My friends yard is on the highest hill in the area. So, as they passed south of us, we could get a better estimate of size/altitude. It was late night so this is still very much an estimate: They were about 50-60 feet in diameter each. They were about 50 feet apart and were about 600 to 800 feet in the air.
As they passed over the next neighborhood south of us, one of the spheres lit an incredibly white light. It first pointed out to the right (east), then immediately aimed (snapped)down at something on the ground. We were astonished! As we watched, the spheres continued to travel south and the beam stayed "locked" on whatever it was it was being aimed at. That is to say, the beam stayed "locked" on one position on the ground as the spheres continued to move away. We could see it (the light) changing angle and broadening as they (the spheres) got further away. It (the light)then snapped off as fast as it had came on.
Within 2 minutes, they had passed below the horizon/tree line to our south and we lost sight of them. Then all hell broke loose. 2 F-4 Phantom fighters came screaming in from the Gulf of Mexico just to the south of us and we heard a double sonic boom. The following few days had various reports in the St. Pete Times about jets going after an unidentified "small aircraft", people seeing strange lights in the sky along the coast and the windows in a Grants Department Store in New Port Richey, Florida had its front windows blown out by the sonic booms.
My friend called Macdill AFB the next day, which is a TAC base and asked about the goings on. He was told by a gentleman on the phone that the jets came from Tyndall AFB in Panama City. When asked why from so far away when we had the same jets at Macdill, his reply was something to the effect of: "We just wanted to get there the fastest, with the mostest." He gave no further help.
These booms also caused a crack in my friends ceiling that remains to this day. I've searched the St. Pete Times archives and can find nothing about the windows being blown out, or the sightings up and down the west coast that night, but I distinctly remember these events and the "shaken" locals of my (then) small seaside town.
((NUFORC Note: Witness indicates that date of the sighting is approximate. PD))
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
No
Off
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Port Richey
USA
2 minutes
2 minutes
28.30
-82.69
formation
FL
Occurred : 8/8/1976 23:30 (Entered as : 08/08/76 23:30) Reported: 12/16/2008 10:44:43 AM 10:44 Posted: 1/10/2009 Location: Port Richey, FL Shape: Formation Duration: 2 minutes Characteristics: The object emitted beams, There were aircraft in the vicinity or aircraft chasing the object
5 glowing, pale green spheres in a chevron formation slowly flying north to south