2008-01-15 - Highland, CA - Sphere

Silver sphere hovers above old Norton AFB, maneuvers quickly and stops.

This event happened on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 I was driving on the 30 Freeway in Highland, California at about 9:10 AM heading west past Victoria Avenue. I noticed something that looked like silver sphere hovering in the air to my left, which would be southwest from my location, and I tracked it from my 11 o’clock position to about my 7 o’clock position as I drove in the number one (fast lane) at about 75 mph.

There were no visible rotors, blades or cockpit. It looked solid to me and it was a good distance (1 mile?) away with a good amount of height (300 -500 feet?). I originally estimated its size at about half that of a VW Beetle, but I later changed my mind after comparing the size of the old Norton water tower, which is plainly recognizable as a very large water tower in the distance. I now think the sphere was larger – maybe 10 feet in diameter.

The object caught my attention because it hovered in the sky much higher than a streetlight or radio antenna and did not look like a helicopter, airplane or balloon. In my opinion, the object had no visible means of propulsion (blades/ intake) and no visible cockpit. It was not an obstruction caused by moving traffic or other nearby obstructions. It was in the distance and initially not moving. To me, this is an odd phenomenon, especially on a clear day. As I observed, I watched it maneuver upwards in a reverse “J” – it must have gained in elevation about one or two hundred feet in less than a second.

It then stopped or slowed dramatically at the peak of its ascent and moved to the right a bit.

I looked at the object for about three seconds before I lost visual contact due to moving traffic. I could no longer “spot” it because it was now behind me to my left. I looked at a map of San Bernardino and it looked as if it was in the direction of the old Norton Air Force Base (San Bernardino International Airport). I had to take my eyes off the object because I almost drove off the freeway.

At the moment of this observance, I was in the number one (far left) lane with no obstructions from westward traffic or streetlights. My car was clean with no spots on the windshield, there was no glare from the sun and I was sober and alert. The entire event (while short) caused me enough stress to almost crash my car and I immediately called my family and friends to tell them what I saw. I don’t think it was a weather balloon because of the extremely fast movements (stop-maneuver-stop). I don’t know what it was; it was an unidentified flying object. I noticed a change in color from silver or grey to dark grey or black - this was in my opinion caused by the object's shadow, but I'm not 100% sure.

I am a 32-year-old married white male that has experience in practical special effects for film and television, I have 20/15-eyesight with no physical impairments and I am an avid outdoorsman. I am also a local to San Bernardino County and I have driven the 30 freeway hundreds of times in all conditions.