2017-11-15 - Madeira Beach, FL - Cigar

I was walking at approximately 6:45pm on 11/15/2017, after dark in the south direction on Madeira Beach off of 140th Avenue. I noticed a cigar shaped object about 1 mile off shore moving silently and slowly (pace of a helicopter) to the south. The object had two red lights blinking in sequence but were at least 200 yards apart giving me a size reference to the object and the speed at which it was moving to the south (80 miles per hour). The lights appeared to be on the nose and tail of the object. No other lights were visible, no green, no white, no flashing white landing lights and no noise coming from the object.

There was heavy air traffic at the time as we are in the landing pattern of PIE, TIA and MacDill. By seeing the object and other air craft at the same time, gave a distinct comparison that the object was not commercial traffic and had to be military or something else. It also flew just west of a sky crane in Madeira Beach with the sky cranes red lights blinking and gave a distinct impression that the object was not commercial air traffic nor a sky crane.

It appeared 4000 to 5000 feet in altitude and moved slowly to the south parallel to the beach. There was a coast guard C130 with its landing lights on turning back to the north (from the south) and landing at PIE and there was a coast guard SH60 helicopter flying behind the object. I could hear the helicopter loud and clear and could see all the lights on the helicopter giving a comparison of the size of each (helicopter and craft) object and speed. The C130 had all of its lights on as it prepared to land and gave a comparison of the size, speed and lack of noise coming from the object. The helicopter did not chase the object nor appeared to see it (it was about 5 miles behind the object).

As the helicopter flew by and engines very loud and noticeable, again made the object stand out and confirm it was silent.

The object never hovered but moved in a very slow and constant rate to the south.