2013-07-26 - West Chester, PA - Unknown

Two, all-black objects flying slowing without lights, sound, or change in altitude for 12+ minutes

8:50-9:03 P.m. 7/26/2013 Standing on 701 E Market Street, West Chester, Pa The Sun was below the horizon but there was still ample light to provide clear silhouettes. We looked north of Market street and to the west. There were two, totally black blobs, one apparently at a higher altitude than the other and slightly ahead. If both objects were identical in size, then the higher one seemed to be about half the observed diameter of the lower one. I first said that they were loose balloons since they were moving due east very slowly. Estimated size of the closer one would be 4-5 feet. Estimated speed would be no more than 10mph, slow and steady. No sound was detected but the street noise is loud there. The air was wind-free. As a frame of reference, a minute or so before we spotted the objects there was a small plane, probably a Cessna 172 or similar, heading for the Brandywine airport, presumably to land. The airport is just a mile or less from that spot, so the Cessna would have been at 500 feet or less in preparation for approach. These objects appeared to be well in the foreground of where I saw the plane pass by and by that I judged their size.

I would have been happy to call them balloons and leave it at that but here’s the problem: Small flying craft, such as remote-control balloons (or loose party balloons) are filled with helium and helium does its best to rise straight up. These object remained, in lockstep with each other, at the same apparent size for the entire 12 minutes they were visible, until they passed into too dark an area to see due to the failing sunlight. Worse, for much of that time, the lower one was traveling in front of a white contrail, which was clearly far up from passing jet, perhaps 20,000’. It made an excellent frame of reference and it so happed that the closer object stayed easily within that narrow contrail of perhaps 1º-2º, gaining no visible altitude for the entire viewing. The contrail, too remained in relatively the same position based on it apparent height above the TD Bank across the street from where we stood.

Any remote control aircraft would have been far too difficult to keep on so consistent an altitude let alone two of them. They would also need powered propulsion to maintain that altitude yet these were seemingly silent and moving far too slowly for any model aircraft to remain aloft. But there’s no way anyone could have flown any type of balloon without gaining altitude or having some means to force enough forward motion to stop any such gain. There were no lights at all, the objects appeared totally black. It was hard to discern any surface detail but I though I did see the closer object wobble a few times, as if it was rippling across its diameter.

My girlfriend and I watched then until they were too faint to see against the lack of light. The main reason I am reporting this is due to the inability of balloons to remain at a given altitude for so long a time and the lack of sufficient airspeed to warrant belief in propeller-driven aircraft. As background, I am a firm believer in extra-terrestrial life but not UFO’s or Earthy visits from spacemen. I have strong hobbyist background interests in all science, space, flight, mechanics and engines, and observing nature, but I cannot yet explain this sighting to myself.