SUMMARY: Two bright red lights moving in perfect formation flew over Billings on the evening of Jan.12, 1997. They were flying at an altitude normally too low for conventional aircraft. Too slow for an airplane. . .almost as if they were gliding. They made no sound.
On the evening of January 12, 1997 around 11 pm I was at my girlfriend's house and went outside to try to start her car (it had been very cold that week and we had been trying to start it for a couple of days). I went inside the car, tried to turn it on and it didn't start. I got out of the car and two bright lights hovering over a set of trees caught my attention. I knew that there were no lights (city or otherwise) that should have been there so I looked at them for a second or two. They were really bright but at the same time kind of dull (hard to describe). I moved a few steps away from the car and they started to move in a northeasterly direction. When I first spotted the lights they were probably 1/4 to 1/2 a mile away. I ran inside and told my girlfriend to come out and check them out. She got on her boots and saw them but went back inside because it was at least 10 degrees below zero outside. I ran out onto the street and followed their flight path. They fl!ew from a southwest to northeast direction and were probably 60-70 degrees off of the horizon. The two lights upon closer inspection appeared to be made up of more than one light, possibly five. . .occasionally they would blink (they blinked quickly, unlike any other airplane light I have ever seen) The thing that struck me the most is how they stayed _perfect_ formation. . .not straying an inch from their formation. It was as almost they were part of the same craft. This might be the case, but if this is so that means that this craft was at least the size of 2 football fields. They were completely silent. Billings is set against a continuous series of cliffs which are about 60-100 feet in height. In comparison to the Rims (as they are called) they were about 200 feet off of the ground. They were flying too slow for any airplane that I know of (plus, as i said they made no sound) It was if they were gliding. I ran up a side street and watched them pass over the rims!and pass just south of the airport, if not right over it. I watched them glide off until they went over the horizon. It was very strange, as the entire time I knew this was something that I have never seen before in person. I tried to call the airport to confirm any unidentified aircraft but couldnt get through. If there are any questions please email me. I can positively state this was not any conventioal airplane.
On the evening of January 12, 1997 around 11 pm I was at my girlfriend's house and went outside to try to start her car (it had been very cold that week and we had been trying to start it for a couple of days). I went inside the car, tried to turn it on and it didn't start. I got out of the car and two bright lights hovering over a set of trees caught my attention. I knew that there were no lights (city or otherwise) that should have been there so I looked at them for a second or two. They were really bright but at the same time kind of dull (hard to describe). I moved a few steps away from the car and they started to move in a northeasterly direction. When I first spotted the lights they were probably 1/4 to 1/2 a mile away. I ran inside and told my girlfriend to come out and check them out. She got on her boots and saw them but went back inside because it was at least 10 degrees below zero outside. I ran out onto the street and followed their flight path. They fl!ew from a southwest to northeast direction and were probably 60-70 degrees off of the horizon. The two lights upon closer inspection appeared to be made up of more than one light, possibly five. . .occasionally they would blink (they blinked quickly, unlike any other airplane light I have ever seen) The thing that struck me the most is how they stayed _perfect_ formation. . .not straying an inch from their formation. It was as almost they were part of the same craft. This might be the case, but if this is so that means that this craft was at least the size of 2 football fields. They were completely silent. Billings is set against a continuous series of cliffs which are about 60-100 feet in height. In comparison to the Rims (as they are called) they were about 200 feet off of the ground. They were flying too slow for any airplane that I know of (plus, as i said they made no sound) It was if they were gliding. I ran up a side street and watched them pass over the rims!and pass just south of the airport, if not right over it. I watched them glide off until they went over the horizon. It was very strange, as the entire time I knew this was something that I have never seen before in person. I tried to call the airport to confirm any unidentified aircraft but couldnt get through. If there are any questions please email me. I can positively state this was not any conventioal airplane.
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Off
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Billings
USA
5 minutes or less
5 minutes or less
45.79
-108.56
light
MT
Occurred : 1/12/1997 23:00 (Entered as : near) Reported: 2/10/1997 13:24 Posted: 3/7/1998 Location: Billings, MT Shape: Light Duration: 5 minutes or less
Two bright red lights moving in perfect formation flew over Billings on the evening of Jan.12, 1997. They were flying at an altitude n