2020-05-03 - DeSoto, KS - Cigar

Cigar-shaped metallic object hovering north of DeSoto, KS in broad daylight

I was westbound on 83rd street west of K-7. Conditions were clear, bright sunlight and few clouds. To my left (north), I saw a silver cigar-shaped object which appeared to be floating motionlessly about 2-3 miles away at an altitude of approximately 2000-2500 feet. The object did not appear to be emitting any kind of light, other than the sunlight refracting off of its bright hull .

It struck me as looking very much like one of the early Zeppelins (ex. LZ-3). It was not perfectly cylindrical, but had longitudinal ridges suggesting girders. The ends were not conical, but rather pyramidal. The silvery color, though, was much brighter and refracted more light than doped canvas. It looked like polished aluminum, or perhaps dull stainless steel. It was not, however, as bright as Mylar.

My first thought was that someone might have been flying a model airship at a nearby RC airfield, but I quickly dismissed that idea. The object was at too high an altitude and too large. The RC airfield is several miles west of where I saw the object, and furthermore, the wind was too strong for the controlled flight of a lighter-than-air craft. A remote-control dirigible would have been swept away by the wind.

My second thought was that I might have seen an aerostat (tethered balloon) and in fact I cannot guarantee that it wasn't. However, aerostats are not typically cigar-shaped, or metallic. An aerostat would have been buffeted by the wind, straining against its tether. This object remained perfectly still, suggesting that it was heavier than air. I observed the object for about three minutes, until I drove over a ridge and lost sight of it.

I drove by the RC airfield about 10 minutes later. No one was there. On my return trip about 1 1/2 hours later, the object was gone.

I am a 36-year-old professional housekeeper and organizer. I have a bachelor's degree in English. I have an interest in aviation history, particularly lighter-than-air craft, which is why I took such notice of this object. I do not do drugs and seldom drink alcohol, and to my knowledge I do not have any mental illnesses. You may contact my by Email if you would like more details or have questions. Thank you.