Flame over Oshkosh
Thursday August 7th 2008
Event –Oshkosh WI
Exhibitor Spot 36
Saturday
August 2nd- 9:49pm
Reporter –XXX XXXXXXXX – Commercial pilot ASEL AMEL CFI
After a long night at Oshkosh as a exhibitor for an unnamed company, the 4 workers and myself sat down around 9:30 after putting out our tents and started discussing the day and aviation in general. We were watching shooting stars and watching the sky as many of us find as an enjoyment before going to sleep. Right at 9:49, an bright light appeared in the southern sky (looked like landing lights at first), note the airport is closed to all operations after 8pm local time. All of our group was very surprised by this and thought it to be an aircraft in distress. As the object approached the airfield, it was traveling directly north, at an estimated 2,000 ft (aprox only, we cannot verify this), and crossed just to the west of the airfield, paralleling runway 18/36. As it got closer many of the group members took snap shots and video, which many are blurry etc but it was there. As the object came within viewing distance, the only visible part was a large flame. This flame was twice the size of Jupiter in the southern sky. It was moving fairly slow, less that 100kts as it moved over the airfield, and it resembled the flame of a hot air balloon, but was silent. We had the knowledge that hot air balloons do not fly at night and that they are easily heard from the ground, and also the flame never went out, like many times happens in a hot air balloon. This object moved to the north of the airfield, we aprox. Over top of the north 40 area, and it made a left 45 degree turn, and rapidly departed the area, not only gaining altitude, but it increased its lateral distance from us at a tremendous rate. All of the members of the group fly for a profession; (commercial and private pilots) were all in stun having never seen this before. This object lasted 3-4 minutes of duration as it moved over the area. We immediately notified the Chicago ARTCC for a possible aircraft in distress (they notified CAP) also, we contacted the UFO reporting hotline as this was a UFO (could be hot air balloon but it is not likely) there for w! e classi fied it as a UFO. Chicago ARTCC said they had nothing on radar and we also confirmed this with flightaware.com. This report is to reflect the phone call to the UFO reporting hotline, and shall supplement that. If any clarification is needed please contact me. Photos have been attached.
((NUFORC Note: We spoke via telephone with this individual, and he seemed to us to be quite credible. PD))
Thursday August 7th 2008
Event –Oshkosh WI
Exhibitor Spot 36
Saturday
August 2nd- 9:49pm
Reporter –XXX XXXXXXXX – Commercial pilot ASEL AMEL CFI
After a long night at Oshkosh as a exhibitor for an unnamed company, the 4 workers and myself sat down around 9:30 after putting out our tents and started discussing the day and aviation in general. We were watching shooting stars and watching the sky as many of us find as an enjoyment before going to sleep. Right at 9:49, an bright light appeared in the southern sky (looked like landing lights at first), note the airport is closed to all operations after 8pm local time. All of our group was very surprised by this and thought it to be an aircraft in distress. As the object approached the airfield, it was traveling directly north, at an estimated 2,000 ft (aprox only, we cannot verify this), and crossed just to the west of the airfield, paralleling runway 18/36. As it got closer many of the group members took snap shots and video, which many are blurry etc but it was there. As the object came within viewing distance, the only visible part was a large flame. This flame was twice the size of Jupiter in the southern sky. It was moving fairly slow, less that 100kts as it moved over the airfield, and it resembled the flame of a hot air balloon, but was silent. We had the knowledge that hot air balloons do not fly at night and that they are easily heard from the ground, and also the flame never went out, like many times happens in a hot air balloon. This object moved to the north of the airfield, we aprox. Over top of the north 40 area, and it made a left 45 degree turn, and rapidly departed the area, not only gaining altitude, but it increased its lateral distance from us at a tremendous rate. All of the members of the group fly for a profession; (commercial and private pilots) were all in stun having never seen this before. This object lasted 3-4 minutes of duration as it moved over the area. We immediately notified the Chicago ARTCC for a possible aircraft in distress (they notified CAP) also, we contacted the UFO reporting hotline as this was a UFO (could be hot air balloon but it is not likely) there for w! e classi fied it as a UFO. Chicago ARTCC said they had nothing on radar and we also confirmed this with flightaware.com. This report is to reflect the phone call to the UFO reporting hotline, and shall supplement that. If any clarification is needed please contact me. Photos have been attached.
((NUFORC Note: We spoke via telephone with this individual, and he seemed to us to be quite credible. PD))
No
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Off
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Oshkosh
USA
3 minuites
3 minuites
44.00
-88.54
fireball
WI
Occurred : 8/2/2008 21:49 (Entered as : 08/02/2008 21:49) Reported: 8/7/2008 4:27:28 PM 16:27 Posted: 8/12/2008 Location: Oshkosh, WI Shape: Fireball Duration: 3 minuites
Flame over Oshkosh