Saw silent, triangular craft at early twilight that was almost blended with the sky background.
I stepped out behind our house after dinner to get something out of our storage shed. pon leaving the shed, I glanced up at the sky as I locked the shed door. The sky was clear. It was early twilight. Almost directly overhead was a triangular shaped craft. completely quiet. The triangle would be roughly a 70 - 70 - 40 degree triangle with the apex of the 40 degree angle apparently the front of the craft. The apex of the nose was blunt as if the front few feet were removed. It left a distinct triangle with a square front end. Along each edge (left and right) was a defined area that was slightly lighter extening front to back and possibly 8 to 10 feet wide. In essence, it looked like two stripes, one along each edge of the triangle (but not the back edge). Set in each of the stripes and spaced equidistant from each other and within the area of the stripe were circles that looked like dull dome lamps. The circles were perhaps 6 to 8 feet in diameter. I believe there were 5 along each edge. I don't recall if there were these circles along the rear edge or not. In the area between the two edge stripes and starting perhaps half-way back from the leading edge of the craft was an area that appeared to be somewhat darker than the rest of the craft. It was uniform in color but only a part of a shade darker. The curious thing here is that while I've described a craft with stripes and lights, it was very pale against the twilight sky. I don't believe that I would have seen it if I hadn't just by luck looed straight at where it was. The color was almost the color of th sky with just a little difference. The overall shape, the stripe area, the large circular lights were definite shapes but the color was so weak as to be almost blended with the ambient image of the sky. There was no sound. I waited and listened closely for several seconds to see if I could perceive sound. There was none. I live next to a little league ball field. The field lighting was on. I almost believe that reflected light ! from the field was what enabled me to see this thing. From a size standpoint, there is no way to know. If the visual cues from other aircraft I know are valid, and if the altitude was from 1500 to maybe 2000 feet, then the craft was about 120 feet long and 50 or 60 feet wide at the back. If that was valid, then I would estimate the speed at around 100 to 150 knots. If the size cues were wrong, then the actual size could be anything. We live onthe edge of an extended traffic pattern for Scottsdale Airport. It was curious that the craft had no beacon or anticollision lights. That makes me believe that it should have been much higher than I think because of the danger of collision in an airport traffic pattern. I don't recall the altitude requirements to cross over the airport control space but I think it's around 7500 feet. If the craft was at that altitude it would have been enormous andwould have been moving at perhaps 300 or 400 knots. I'm a former military pilot. I know aircraft. My distance vision is excellent. I've never seen anything like this before. I can say what it wasn't. It was no known aircraft in the inventory of any country I'm aware of. It was not a hang glider, an ultra-light, baloon, F11, B2, Beechcraft Starship, Dick Rutan creaation, or anything else I can think of. It was not shaped like a blimp and besides, you can hear them easily. I watched the craft for approximately 10 seconds until it disappeared behind a tree that blocked my vision. It held a steady course, altitude, and speed - traveling from southeast to northwest. I have filed a report with MUFON some time ago. I just found out about your group today on the radio.
((NUFORC Note: Witness occupies a position of considerable responsibility, and has a very strong technical background. PD))
I stepped out behind our house after dinner to get something out of our storage shed. pon leaving the shed, I glanced up at the sky as I locked the shed door. The sky was clear. It was early twilight. Almost directly overhead was a triangular shaped craft. completely quiet. The triangle would be roughly a 70 - 70 - 40 degree triangle with the apex of the 40 degree angle apparently the front of the craft. The apex of the nose was blunt as if the front few feet were removed. It left a distinct triangle with a square front end. Along each edge (left and right) was a defined area that was slightly lighter extening front to back and possibly 8 to 10 feet wide. In essence, it looked like two stripes, one along each edge of the triangle (but not the back edge). Set in each of the stripes and spaced equidistant from each other and within the area of the stripe were circles that looked like dull dome lamps. The circles were perhaps 6 to 8 feet in diameter. I believe there were 5 along each edge. I don't recall if there were these circles along the rear edge or not. In the area between the two edge stripes and starting perhaps half-way back from the leading edge of the craft was an area that appeared to be somewhat darker than the rest of the craft. It was uniform in color but only a part of a shade darker. The curious thing here is that while I've described a craft with stripes and lights, it was very pale against the twilight sky. I don't believe that I would have seen it if I hadn't just by luck looed straight at where it was. The color was almost the color of th sky with just a little difference. The overall shape, the stripe area, the large circular lights were definite shapes but the color was so weak as to be almost blended with the ambient image of the sky. There was no sound. I waited and listened closely for several seconds to see if I could perceive sound. There was none. I live next to a little league ball field. The field lighting was on. I almost believe that reflected light ! from the field was what enabled me to see this thing. From a size standpoint, there is no way to know. If the visual cues from other aircraft I know are valid, and if the altitude was from 1500 to maybe 2000 feet, then the craft was about 120 feet long and 50 or 60 feet wide at the back. If that was valid, then I would estimate the speed at around 100 to 150 knots. If the size cues were wrong, then the actual size could be anything. We live onthe edge of an extended traffic pattern for Scottsdale Airport. It was curious that the craft had no beacon or anticollision lights. That makes me believe that it should have been much higher than I think because of the danger of collision in an airport traffic pattern. I don't recall the altitude requirements to cross over the airport control space but I think it's around 7500 feet. If the craft was at that altitude it would have been enormous andwould have been moving at perhaps 300 or 400 knots. I'm a former military pilot. I know aircraft. My distance vision is excellent. I've never seen anything like this before. I can say what it wasn't. It was no known aircraft in the inventory of any country I'm aware of. It was not a hang glider, an ultra-light, baloon, F11, B2, Beechcraft Starship, Dick Rutan creaation, or anything else I can think of. It was not shaped like a blimp and besides, you can hear them easily. I watched the craft for approximately 10 seconds until it disappeared behind a tree that blocked my vision. It held a steady course, altitude, and speed - traveling from southeast to northwest. I have filed a report with MUFON some time ago. I just found out about your group today on the radio.
((NUFORC Note: Witness occupies a position of considerable responsibility, and has a very strong technical background. PD))
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Off
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Scottsdale
USA
30 seconds
30 seconds
33.59
-111.90
triangle
AZ
Occurred : 11/16/2001 16:23 (Entered as : 11/16/01 16:23) Reported: 3/13/2002 7:08:55 PM 19:08 Posted: 3/19/2002 Location: Scottsdale, AZ Shape: Triangle Duration: 30 seconds
Saw silent, triangular craft at early twilight that was almost blended with the sky background.