Evanston, IL: Dual ventral synchronized irregular flash pattern white strobe craft.

Richard Bong

New Member
Hi All,

Looking for a little help understanding or maybe even identifying something that flew directly over my head at night right after dusk in the local park near my home in Evanston, Il. It was late October/first week of November, 2021. Clear dark sky. Trees still had leaves. I was in an open space of small 1 block x 1 block city park surrounded by trees. I was right next to a E-W street with not the brightest old timey street lamps, but, immediately next to a major retirement home complex's parking lot with high intensity sodium lights that generate a lot of light splash.

Walking with my dog, when from behind me I heard the sound of prop plane, loud. I looked up and could see nothing other than two - I mean painfully super bright white strobe lights that were in line and synchronized. They were blinding. Combined with the size of the lights - like apple size or bigger still - and the rushing sound of the engine I thought - holy crap is he/she low, like really dangerously low considering it was dark and a half block away is a commercial smoke stack for the retirement home. This craft was making a fairly tight elipitcal curve from behind me left, right over my head to in front of me right. So coming from the SE turning to a due West course that ran over the street. I saw nothing other than those two lights. No nav lights, no other beacons or strobes. The dual white ventral strobes did not reflect on any surfaces. I saw no reflection of wings or rotors for a chopper. It got to the end of the park 3/4's of block away and was hidden by trees. Thereafter I did not see or hear it again.

I have no idea how big, or how high, but combined with the size of the lights and the sound, I think it was big, like up to a Pilatus PC-12 up to C-130 size or CH47 size. If it was that low its wings would have stretched out on either side and been at risk of hitting trees (yes it was really low - both I and my dog were looking up at it and I was thinking "holy sh*t"). I checked on local medical helos, because there's a medical complex a mile away. If I were to guess, the two lights were 10, 15 maybe 20 feet apart.

It's possible I was blinded by the lights so badly I couldn't see wings or other lights, but, I find that hard to convince myself of. Are there craft that would use that set up or be flying like that in the dark over a metro area. Ah, ya, it was moving at a clip, it was won and done in just a few seconds.

Maybe worth mentioning that, over the years been directly overflown at low altitude by a C-130 (Fat Albert), a CH-47, USCG Dolphin, UH-60 and Loach/little bird. As sure as I can be it wasn't a helo. The C-130's got a whisper/roar so don't think it was that. It happened fast and was low, but, it didn't have a pronounced doppler sound to it either. Just a flat "engine" sound. Be great is someone can clear this up - thank you!
 

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My gut reaction is a drone, even lower an than you thought, with some bright lights on it. Barring additional details/information I suspect all you are going to get is gut reactions, which might have some value to you in deciding which ones might match what you remember of what you saw, and which ones you feel like you can rule out. This video does not match the configuration you reported, but I'll share it just as a demo that some folks are putting insanely bright lighting on some of their drones out there. (Also folks here might look at the bit from 1:30 to 1:48 or so -- just to be ready when something like THAT crosses our screens here... :oops:)


Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl1xYyGom1g
 
It was late October/first week of November, 2021.
The first thing to do in these cases is to mark down the day and the time, and then check on flightradar24 or similar for civil aviation. Narrowing down the date and time as much as you can would still be helpful.

The next thing to check is for nearby airports, and possibly for streams of air traffic control (e.g. via liveatc.com), maybe there was an emergency.

Could the aircraft have been coming up the lakeshore and then turned westward inland? perhaps going for Chicago Executive airport?
 
that's as close as you can get? late october or first week november? was it before Halloweeen or not?

add to save others time
https://www.google.com/maps/place/C...e1d45136cc9a3e!8m2!3d42.0620789!4d-87.7243663
Ya, I know. Apologize. Was not prepared for this event. Personally, I've got some pokers in the fire that definitively distracted. It was after Halloween and before Thanksgiving.
The first thing to do in these cases is to mark down the day and the time, and then check on flightradar24 or similar for civil aviation. Narrowing down the date and time as much as you can would still be helpful.

The next thing to check is for nearby airports, and possibly for streams of air traffic control (e.g. via liveatc.com), maybe there was an emergency.

Could the aircraft have been coming up the lakeshore and then turned westward inland? perhaps going for Chicago Executive airport?
Understood, these are all things I am learning to do - now in the aftermath that I had no clue about at the time.
that's as close as you can get? late october or first week november? was it before Halloweeen or not?

add to save others time
https://www.google.com/maps/place/C...e1d45136cc9a3e!8m2!3d42.0620789!4d-87.7243663
It was closer to the end of November.
that's as close as you can get? late october or first week november? was it before Halloweeen or not?

add to save others time
https://www.google.com/maps/place/C...e1d45136cc9a3e!8m2!3d42.0620789!4d-87.7243663
 
"I think it was big, like up to a Pilatus PC-12 up to C-130"

A C-130 is ~5X "bigger" than a PC-12.
It's a range of sizes and just trying to give some context. I have been inside a C-130 and stood next to larger military aircraft at airbases and in museums up to and included the Spruce Goose and a B-36 Peace Maker. I was blinded by the strobes, was totally jumped by it, didn't hear it coming or leave. It went - right-over-my-head, head all the way back straight up looking right up at its belly accompanied by "holy sh@t" level of surprise. This thing was - big - its engine noise reverberated. Without being able to see anything of it, other than two really big strobe lights, I can't tell you how close it was to the ground so can't tell the size. I saw - nothing - no undercarriage, no other lights, no wings, no nose, fuselage - nothing other than two really big "pools" of light. I looked on line for some aircraft anti-collision light makers, incandescent, LED, beacon, the lights didn't look like they had filaments or a bunch of LEDs. Frankly, this sounds crazy, they looked like perfectly circular pools of white light. Given the level of ambient lighting from the retirement home, the play lot has high intensity LEDS and even the barely glowing decorative old fashion street lights, I should have seen something reflecting, some sort of flight surface. Something. But, I didn't.
 
My gut reaction is a drone, even lower an than you thought, with some bright lights on it. Barring additional details/information I suspect all you are going to get is gut reactions, which might have some value to you in deciding which ones might match what you remember of what you saw, and which ones you feel like you can rule out. This video does not match the configuration you reported, but I'll share it just as a demo that some folks are putting insanely bright lighting on some of their drones out there. (Also folks here might look at the bit from 1:30 to 1:48 or so -- just to be ready when something like THAT crosses our screens here... :oops:)


Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl1xYyGom1g

Thank you for sharing this video. I would love this to be a drone, I would. It wasn't. I'm no pilot, or aviation expert or even someone crazy about planes. That said, I've got relatives that are and have a fairly good running knowledge of the history of aviation and aerodynamics. I've been lucky enough to be invited up and into a PT-17 and a Beachcraft Baron. This was not a drone, or, it if was, it was a Global Hawk. It was on a flight path consistent with a curving turn, I believe it was moving over 100 MPH. I saw just the other day, during the day, what I think was a Pilatus PC-12, single engine, T-tail, white aft strobe on top of the tail, single red incandescent beacon on its belly flying near where I saw this fly. It caught my attention because of its speed and engine sound. Could that be it?

Separately, what I realized from this video is that with these LEDs the lights make a cone of light on the ground. I hadn't thought about that. If this craft was that low i should think its lights would have illuminated the ground I was standing in. I honestly don't recall that. I don't recall seeing the chain link fence surrounding the tennis courts lit up or the tennis nets. Maybe they were and I didn't see it because I literally had my head cranked full back. But that's odd. What is not the same is the bright light causes a reflection on the drone. There was no surface reflections. Also the drone is small. I can't convey in words how this craft conveyed size and speed and power. It was moving. I can't say that I've been around drones alot, so I stand to be educated. If this was a drone, its a quantum leap larger than anything I've ever seen. I know I can't offer much and you don't know me so have no concept of my reliability as a witness.
 
The first thing to do in these cases is to mark down the day and the time, and then check on flightradar24 or similar for civil aviation. Narrowing down the date and time as much as you can would still be helpful.

The next thing to check is for nearby airports, and possibly for streams of air traffic control (e.g. via liveatc.com), maybe there was an emergency.

Could the aircraft have been coming up the lakeshore and then turned westward inland? perhaps going for Chicago Executive airport?
Too new to all of these sources of information. Never needed to identify an aircraft before. I know better now and will do all of these things in the future. Yes, PWK would be in a direct line from the original flight path, the turn Westward would be more towards O'Hare - so in between these airports was where it was headed on an unaltered course. Your proposal would explain the low level and course.
 
that's as close as you can get? late october or first week november? was it before Halloweeen or not?

add to save others time
https://www.google.com/maps/place/C...e1d45136cc9a3e!8m2!3d42.0620789!4d-87.7243663
So, here's the thing, what's really bothering me. But for "this" I wouldn't care so much....2 weeks before this my wife was behind our house at night and told me that she saw a "satellite". I nearly blew her off until she told me it was super bright, flashing irregularly - and - hovering directly over our house. She had just let the dog out and had left her iphone on the family room counter. She described something that was blacked out, super bright white strobing irregularly lights. I asked her how big and she said she "felt" it was at least the size of an SUV in the sky, she said it paced her as she walked across the street to ask our neighbors to look at and identify it. They came out to look at it and it "very fast" moved to the East disappearing. No engine noise, she said it may a whooshing noise like a washing machine. I played airplane, helo, drone videos for her on Youtube, she "noped" all of them. So, ya, there's this bit, too.
 
Too new to all of these sources of information. Never needed to identify an aircraft before. I know better now and will do all of these things in the future. Yes, PWK would be in a direct line from the original flight path, the turn Westward would be more towards O'Hare - so in between these airports was where it was headed on an unaltered course. Your proposal would explain the low level and course.
i couldn't (didnt spend time) figure out the direction in your pic but you are also between two hospital heliports. i know you said you checked this but if they werent transferring a patient at that time, there might not be a log notation. ?? just guessing.
 
there was a shooting the end of November. could it have been police searching for the suspects? i looked at eveanston police twitter feed.
Street cred for thinking and out-of-the-box thinking. I respect that. Evanston does not have an airborne resource. Chicago does. I'm sure the State Police do. I've not seen the Chicago Police chopper over Evanston, if it was the gas station shooting on McMormick, that's over 3 miles away. I run past it. I couldn't see any shape or form, however, I didn't get any down wash or rotor thump of a helicopter and no spot light. From watching COPS they choppers tend to be up high(er) to use their FLIR cameras. This really seemed like it was at tree top - I didn't see any whirling blades. I looked at video of the LIFESTAR and some of the other Chicago based helos, they don't have dual white strobes - and they look like helos with blades relfecting light and gear illuminated by flashes.
 
i couldn't (didnt spend time) figure out the direction in your pic but you are also between two hospital heliports. i know you said you checked this but if they werent transferring a patient at that time, there might not be a log notation. ?? just guessing.
So I don't know about log notations. Or how to get them. I did look up the local companies and the helo's they fly in the area and one had a night landing video - wrong lights, but, also, you can see its a helo. I-94 is just a mile away or so, too. Periodically, once a year I think, you'll hear a helo hovering as they are dealing with an accident. Also there are high tension power lines and I've seen them cutting back trees along the power lines using a helo. These lines follow I-94. But that's during the day, and only, I should think.
 
So I don't know about log notations. Or how to get them. I did look up the local companies and the helo's they fly in the area and one had a night landing video - wrong lights, but, also, you can see its a helo. I-94 is just a mile away or so, too. Periodically, once a year I think, you'll hear a helo hovering as they are dealing with an accident. Also there are high tension power lines and I've seen them cutting back trees along the power lines using a helo. These lines follow I-94. But that's during the day, and only, I should think.
I also looked up the PC-12 - there are four(?) registered in IL, I mean this is just a wild guess seeing one flying just this week, but I'm grasping at straws. One of them is based in DuPage and flies locally and to PWK, I think (if I am understanding the flight plan info correctly). But, these aircraft have a very long range and higher speed (??) so it seems that they are an interstate aircraft and could be anywhere regardless of state of registration. I dunno.
 
i couldn't (didnt spend time) figure out the direction in your pic but you are also between two hospital heliports. i know you said you checked this but if they werent transferring a patient at that time, there might not be a log notation. ?? just guessing.
The flight path is heading West, there's a major hospital complex in that direction a mile off, or less. Provided this thing wasn't "HUGE" and was the size of a medical chopper, the pilot was flying at an extremely reckless height. I suppose there are no end of things that could have been here. Police/medical choppers, private aircraft/small commercial going to Palwaukee, or even O'Hare. If I ever see it again, I will Run home and get up that transponder app, etc. not the time and day and do a better job. Fact is, I don't want to see it again, tho.
 
Street cred for thinking and out-of-the-box thinking. I respect that. Evanston does not have an airborne resource. Chicago does. I'm sure the State Police do. I've not seen the Chicago Police chopper over Evanston, if it was the gas station shooting on McMormick, that's over 3 miles away. I run past it. I couldn't see any shape or form, however, I didn't get any down wash or rotor thump of a helicopter and no spot light. From watching COPS they choppers tend to be up high(er) to use their FLIR cameras. This really seemed like it was at tree top - I didn't see any whirling blades. I looked at video of the LIFESTAR and some of the other Chicago based helos, they don't have dual white strobes - and they look like helos with blades relfecting light and gear illuminated by flashes.
mostly im havng trouble discounting helicopter because a low plane is even more unlikely and helicopters are nosiier than you might think. every once in a while i get literally scared because it sounds like a helicopter is going to crash through my roof but when i see it, it isnt super close. i'm bad with distance, but its only like maybe a foot and a half [held ruler up to wondow, certainly not longer than a foot max] long. (one of the math guys here can maybe tell me how high it would be, a regular looking helicopter like those traffic copters or news copters. could be military i guess as it is grey all over)

its loud enough that i still get scared, even though i have prior experience it isnt going to hit me at that sound level. they are really loud.
even half that loud would freak me out on the street, so it could be higher than you are imagining. (again, just speculating)
 
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So I don't know about log notations. Or how to get them. I did look up the local companies and the helo's they fly in the area and one had a night landing video - wrong lights, but, also, you can see its a helo. I-94 is just a mile away or so, too. Periodically, once a year I think, you'll hear a helo hovering as they are dealing with an accident. Also there are high tension power lines and I've seen them cutting back trees along the power lines using a helo. These lines follow I-94. But that's during the day, and only, I should think.
oh, sometimes you can look them up but you need an exact date or at least a date window, otherwise its kinda useless.
 
Yes, PWK would be in a direct line from the original flight path, the turn Westward would be more towards O'Hare -
My thought is it'd have to fly west and then turn north to line up with the runway.

Narrowing down the time of day might be useful.
 
mostly im havng trouble discounting helicopter because a low plane is even more unlikely and helicopters are nosiier than you might think. every once in a while i get literally scared because it sounds like a helicopter is going to crash through my roof but when i see it, it isnt super close. i'm bad with distance, but its only like maybe a foot and a half [held ruler up to wondow, certainly not longer than a foot max] long. (one of the math guys here can maybe tell me how high it would be, a regular looking helicopter like those traffic copters or news copters. could be military i guess as it is grey all over)

its loud enough that i still get scared, even though i have prior experience it isnt going to hit me at that sound level. they are really loud.
even half that loud would freak me out on the street, so it could be higher than you are imagining. (again, just speculating)
I get it. And I'm intentionally being as unopinionated as possible because I am refusing to jump to conclusions and I want to promote the thoughts and input of this community which I know is filled with experts, professionals and just thoughtful people and observers. I know about helos, at one point involved with a boating accident that had the Chicago CFD and USCG helos right over head for a long time. The distance between the lights on the bottom of this craft is suggestive of something at least as large as one of those helos but only at a dangerously, reckless (insanely low level for the conditions and lack of reasons). If a helo had been that low the noise level would have been extraordinary and the down blast(?) would have been substantial. I did not feel any downwind of any kind (hadn't thought about that before). Whatever this was, as much as I might want it to be, it wasn't a helo, not loud enough/too big/no down draft/lights too far apart - if it was not just above tree top level, it was far larger than a USCG or CFD (I think they fly a Huey).

So, I came out of the hockey rink last night and looked up at the new LED lights the Park District had installed, the intensity of them is very similar to the intensity of the strobe lights on the craft. Almost painful to look at. So, I took a snap. Consider the four light heads to be one and then duplicate it some feet apart and its like what I saw. No its not perfect. The parking lot lamp has "lens flare" what I saw was more precisely defined, you could see a clear mechanical circle encompassing the light. And, the light itself looked like it had faint black lines through it, like it was a liquid compound of white light and the faint black lines were swirled separating the white light part into 3 or four about same size segments. I looked at a lot of anti-collision light manufacturers websites and aircraft video to see if anything looked liked it. For the purposes of making this photo (of a parking lot lamp with four separate LED lamps) look like what I saw. Envision a distinct black, uniform circle encircling the illuminated part, no lens flare/light splash or distortion, very crisp delineation on the light's circle and containment, then faint but noticeable black, kind of dotted, or incomplete thin lines separating the light into three of four kind of equal segments.

I know its weird. It's why I am here asking - has anybody seen anything that can identify this? Are there airborne flood lights used by utility or military craft of some sort that might do this?

Years ago, I saw blacked out choppers in formation way North up by Navy Pier at tree top level as I was bringing our boat into Burnham Harbor. I grabbed the binocs but they were below tree level when the rest of the crew looked. They didn't believe me. Fine, whatever. 10 minutes later they came in right over our mast, little birds and blackhawks, blacked out with special forces out their doors. They conducted a practice assault on Soldier Field to our left. So the military does these practice drills without telling us, with special equipment, is it possible this could be some sort of military craft?
 

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Service helicopters often carry powerful flood lights, and in general even normal aircraft landing etc lights are VERY bright, especially when pointed directly at you.

I have been very confused by aircraft flying directly towards me before, the light is so bright you think it is closer than it is, then it turns and seems to vanish.

But trying to id this from your unfortunately vague recollections with no date/time is going to be impossible.
 
blacked out with special forces out their doors.
i dont know what that means.

your story is starting to confuse me. what is "right above?" what is "tree top level"? what is "some feet apart?"
were they flood lights or strobe lights? how do you know they were "ventral" if you didnt see any reflection?
you remember little black lines, but couldnt remember if it was the end of October or 2 weeks ago?

:) not picking on ya. just saying im confused. i'm sure the guys can follow you more and help ya out.
 
i dont know what that means.

your story is starting to confuse me. what is "right above?" what is "tree top level"? what is "some feet apart?"
were they flood lights or strobe lights? how do you know they were "ventral" if you didnt see any reflection?
you remember little black lines, but couldnt remember if it was the end of October or 2 weeks ago?

:) not picking on ya. just saying im confused. i'm sure the guys can follow you more and help ya out.
"blacked out with special forces out their doors." My point is that there was a military drill at Soldier Field a few years back, not noted in the press. Special Forces in darkened helicopters assaulted a closed Soldier's Field cordoned off by CPD. It was not in the press. It's called a MOUT drill. When they do these kind of drills they bring in military aircraft not normally around the Chicago area. When Obama was in town, CH47s and Ospreys were regularly over the lakefront area.

I appreciate that you are confused. I am, too. I don't know how I saw what I saw and it seems to defy "logic" or physical limitations/practicalities that would otherwise help me to identify it.

There are trees surrounding the area I was in. Lining Grant Street and along Cartwright Park's edge and in the retirement homes. Chinese Elms, Maples, some Oaks. Whatever this was, it was above the top of these trees. When I mean right over head I mean take an imaginary line run it from the ground up the middle of my body and project it straight up into the sky. Locate this craft on that line, it was directly above me. Not off to one side, not on the horizon, I couldn't put my head back far enough.

All I saw was the blackness of the sky and those two lights. I heard a prop engine noise with it. I saw nothing but two super bright white strobing "lights". Very bright, painful bright. Irregular flash sequence and just for a few seconds. These things did not look like "strobe lights" you see under aircraft (there I said what I was avoiding saying because it sounds nuts). There was no reflection on the craft from ground lights or from these super bright lights. The lights didn't look like bulb/filament or cluster LED lighting. They looked like big "pools" of light, and they had these black lines in them. (Maybe its a visual effect you get from seeing super bright lights, I just don't know). I remember the black lines because at the time my brain said "wtf" are those black lines inside the lights? It was weird.

I don't know how big the craft was or how high up. If it was just at tree top height, it looked like the lights were easily 10 feet apart maybe more. If the craft was much higher than tree top height, Dear God, then it was enormous then and there is no way that those lights were FAA compliant anti-collision lights as they would have been enormous in diameter.

Why do I remember the images so clearly but not the date. That's me. I'm messed up that way. I have a really good visual perception and memory. When it happens, it's like a movie. I can play it forward and back. So why don't i use my memory and just count the days back? Wish I could, it doesn't work that way. I have no clue why my memory is this way. But it doesn't come with a date stamp. I'm not trying to be difficult. I've a lot happening personally, so, it seems like the days are blending together and this isn't the most important thing going on - but it does bother me.

I'm trying not to think this: I was overflown by a rather large UAP that uses some form gas ionizing plasma to generate those lights, it was large, its body absorbs photonic energy, it amazingly makes an airplane prop sound when it flies, or, it manufactured that sound. Yes, that all sounds batshit. No, there is no outward reason this should ever happen to me. So, I'm checking to see with this community if there is any other rational explanation I can hang my hat on. Such as an aircraft in distress making an urgent landing at PWK. A military craft of some sort in the area for real world training that is not otherwise reported in the press.
 
Service helicopters often carry powerful flood lights, and in general even normal aircraft landing etc lights are VERY bright, especially when pointed directly at you.

I have been very confused by aircraft flying directly towards me before, the light is so bright you think it is closer than it is, then it turns and seems to vanish.

But trying to id this from your unfortunately vague recollections with no date/time is going to be impossible.
I understand. I'm not trying to be vague. I'm just a joe schmoe walking his dog when an unexpected odd over flight happened. I've learned a lot already and - if - this should ever happen again, I will do my best to be more diligent and also will immediately note day/time and start checking flight apps that I've learned about and post to this community. I thank you for your consideration. Unsaid thus far, this thing scared me.
 
Why do I remember the images so clearly but not the date. That's me. I'm messed up that way. I have a really good visual perception and memory. When it happens, it's like a movie. I can play it forward and back. So why don't i use my memory and just count the days back? Wish I could, it doesn't work that way. I have no clue why my memory is this way. But it doesn't come with a date stamp. I'm not trying to be difficult. I've a lot happening personally, so, it seems like the days are blending together and this isn't the most important thing going on - but it does bother me.
Pleas don't take this the wrong way, as this is something I've gradually come to realize over the years.

There is just too much research now showing that memory simple doesn't work that way. We are not video recorders, even though we like to think we are. The human mind evolved to remember enough to survive and , hopefully, pro-create, not to make literal recordings of past events.

Just a tidbit here: (Bold by me)

Lilienfeld et al. stated: "Some psychologists believe that eidetic memory reflects an unusually long persistence of the iconic image in some lucky people". They added: "More recent evidence raises questions about whether any memories are truly photographic (Rothen, Meier & Ward, 2012). Eidetikers' memories are clearly remarkable, but they are rarely perfect. Their memories often contain minor errors, including information that was not present in the original visual stimulus. So even eidetic memory often appears to be reconstructive".[12][22]
Content from External Source
n.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eidetic_memory

With that in mind, lets look at what you said, starting with the end of the above quote:

"I've a lot happening personally, so, it seems like the days are blending together and this isn't the most important thing going on - but it does bother me."

Your under some stress. Hell, two years into COVID, I think we all have a level of underlying stress that we've just learned to deal with, but I take this to mean other things in your life.

So, here's the thing, what's really bothering me. But for "this" I wouldn't care so much....2 weeks before this my wife was behind our house at night and told me that she saw a "satellite". I nearly blew her off until she told me it was super bright, flashing irregularly - and - hovering directly over our house. .... So, ya, there's this bit, too.
You were primed, even if you didn't realize it, that there was strange things in the air.

Ah, ya, it was moving at a clip, it was won and done in just a few seconds.
It happened very rapidly, a few seconds.
right-over-my-head, head all the way back straight up looking right up at its belly accompanied by "holy sh@t" level of surprise.
Fact is, I don't want to see it again, tho.
Unsaid thus far, this thing scared me.
It was a startling and harrowing, encounter.

So we have someone who's primed for something strange in the air, out walking the dog while mulling over various stressful life issues suddenly spooked by a loud noise and bright lights in the air.

Now let's combine that with other things you've said.
I heard the sound of prop plane, loud.
Combined with the size of the lights - like apple size or bigger still - and the rushing sound of the engine I thought - holy crap is he/she low, like really dangerously low
its engine noise reverberated
I saw just the other day, during the day, what I think was a Pilatus PC-12, single engine, T-tail, white aft strobe on top of the tail, single red incandescent beacon on its belly flying near where I saw this fly. It caught my attention because of its speed and engine sound. Could that be it?
59633bce4becd_PC-12-Wings-Lights.jpg
So it sounds like an airplane and you saw a PC-12 flying in the same area as the UFO, and this is a PC-12 with it's landing lights on.

Not in any way trying to psychoanalyze you. Not in any way trying to say you did not see something. Not saying the PC-12 is a match.

Just saying, that the old saying that "our minds play tricks on us", is more than just an old saying. Remember Occam's razor, sometime the simplest solution is the right solution, even if it doesn't quite jive with our memory.
 
how did your dog react?
Great question. The dog looked up to. I noted it because it was literally look up, follow if for just a few seconds. It hit the tree line and was obscured. I looked down and saw that my dog was looking up, too. This sounds odd, but, she's pretty aware and sometimes watches the commercial jets going overhead that are coming out of O'Hare. Otherwise, unfazed. She didn't scatter or try to run, or something like that.
 
Pleas don't take this the wrong way, as this is something I've gradually come to realize over the years.

There is just too much research now showing that memory simple doesn't work that way. We are not video recorders, even though we like to think we are. The human mind evolved to remember enough to survive and , hopefully, pro-create, not to make literal recordings of past events.

Just a tidbit here: (Bold by me)

Lilienfeld et al. stated: "Some psychologists believe that eidetic memory reflects an unusually long persistence of the iconic image in some lucky people". They added: "More recent evidence raises questions about whether any memories are truly photographic (Rothen, Meier & Ward, 2012). Eidetikers' memories are clearly remarkable, but they are rarely perfect. Their memories often contain minor errors, including information that was not present in the original visual stimulus. So even eidetic memory often appears to be reconstructive".[12][22]
Content from External Source
n.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eidetic_memory

With that in mind, lets look at what you said, starting with the end of the above quote:

"I've a lot happening personally, so, it seems like the days are blending together and this isn't the most important thing going on - but it does bother me."

Your under some stress. Hell, two years into COVID, I think we all have a level of underlying stress that we've just learned to deal with, but I take this to mean other things in your life.


You were primed, even if you didn't realize it, that there was strange things in the air.


It happened very rapidly, a few seconds.



It was a startling and harrowing, encounter.

So we have someone who's primed for something strange in the air, out walking the dog while mulling over various stressful life issues suddenly spooked by a loud noise and bright lights in the air.

Now let's combine that with other things you've said.




59633bce4becd_PC-12-Wings-Lights.jpg
So it sounds like an airplane and you saw a PC-12 flying in the same area as the UFO, and this is a PC-12 with it's landing lights on.

Not in any way trying to psychoanalyze you. Not in any way trying to say you did not see something. Not saying the PC-12 is a match.

Just saying, that the old saying that "our minds play tricks on us", is more than just an old saying. Remember Occam's razor, sometime the simplest solution is the right solution, even if it doesn't quite jive with our memory.
All of your points are valid. What you say about memory is true. Sure, let's go with that. It was an airplane flying overhead with its landing lights, on. Those landing lights were synchronized, strobing and pointing straight down. I've learned a lot. And will be better prepared in the future should this ever happen again. Thank you.

Edit: Found another source that speaks to the unreliability of human perception and the inherent flaws of our memories: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/our-universe-is-a-hologram

Edit x2: In addition to seeking input from this community, I went the other way, too. That direction is far more, unpredictable. I ended up finding, reading then reaching out to this gentleman: https://www.amazon.com/Dr.-Bruce-Cornet/e/B07VBY7LF5?ref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

I don't care what you believe about me, and I do appreciate the thoughtfulness and the time and input you and everyone has given. I do. Interestingly, Dr. Cornet explained to me that "yes" there is a class of UAP out there that is "blackbody" (non-reflective), "yes" they do have lighting that can mimic, but imperfectly, common aircraft, "yes" these craft can have lights like I saw (weird pools of light) and "yes" they can mimic aircraft sound - but - if you can catch it in a recording and analyze it, the sounds are a combination of sounds that are constructed and put together and do not match the sounds generated by an aircraft engine, "yes" these craft are found at altitudes that are not safe or sanctioned for by aircraft. I read his book after I saw this thing. What he wrote matches what he relayed to me.

I don't know what I saw. I don't think it was an aircraft, but, I'm also not prepared to say it was not an aircraft. Figures. Gives me something more to think about walking the dog, and I'm johnny on the spot now with my phone camera, keeping my head on a swivel at night. I know the major constellations so now I am looking for things out-of-place. And anything within ear shot gets my eyeballs on it toot suite. Life.
 
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Otherwise, unfazed. She didn't scatter or try to run, or something like that.
my cat doesnt even open her eyes when the helicopter is about to crash through the roof. but she hides under the bed if it starts to drizzle outside. and she goes flying off the bed if i cough at night.

pets are weird. (assuming she could hear it, never looked up if cats hear different frequencies than us)
 
my cat doesnt even open her eyes when the helicopter is about to crash through the roof. but she hides under the bed if it starts to drizzle outside. and she goes flying off the bed if i cough at night.

pets are weird. (assuming she could hear it, never looked up if cats hear different frequencies than us)
My calico hears stuff, too, and seems to know when it's something odd, as well.

Edit: ....and because of noticing that, did look up their hearing, their low end is like ours, but their high end is superior. In general, they seem to be early warning sensors and their ears are literally direction finders. Both seem to be able to hear at much lower decibel level. More importantly they mentally record our sounds and in particular those in our house and seem to be listening even when asleep(?). I know when a car is in our driveway b/c of the dog, even in a sound sleep is up and moving to the door. I pay attention to the dog when outside. Interestingly, in the woods, she is less effective and am pretty sure an elephant could walk past and she wouldn't notice. And now that you mention it, the dog didn't stop and look behind us, she will stop and stare at roofers/garbage trucks anything making a loud odd noise. Maybe its just whatever, it was a loud, unexpected sound, that's interesting, too.

Edit x2: Ok, I think your point sunk in. No. She didn't give me any advanced notice. She didn't hear/sense it coming. And she has a tell, if she sees/hears something she doesn't understand she stops and all but points and won't move. You have to drag her. She sits, drags her butt and resists. It's easier and less painful for her to just let her stand and ponder on something until her curiosity is satiated. She's done this countless times. Anything she doesn't get. She did nothing anything like that with this flyover. Hmmm. Yep, great observation.
 
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Edit x2: Ok, I think your point sunk in. No. She didn't give me any advanced notice. She didn't hear/sense it coming. And she has a tell, if she sees/hears something she doesn't understand she stops and all but points and won't move. You have to drag her. She sits, drags her butt and resists. It's easier and less painful for her to just let her stand and ponder on something until her curiosity is satiated. She's done this countless times. Anything she doesn't get. She did nothing anything like that with this flyover. Hmmm. Yep, great observation.

cool.

yea mostly i was wondering if she whined or anything. sensing aliens. they say dogs whine or react weird if ghosts are around ( :) )
but if they were high up maybe she couldnt sense their alien vibe anyway. or maybe aliens arent as scary as ghosts.
 
cool.

yea mostly i was wondering if she whined or anything. sensing aliens. they say dogs whine or react weird if ghosts are around ( :) )
but if they were high up maybe she couldnt sense their alien vibe anyway. or maybe aliens arent as scary as ghosts.
Lol. So not down playing, but, I know nothing about any of that. I do understand your drift. I read that NIDs used dogs as biosensors and considering the DoD financed this research and staffed it with scientists, and the US Navy is now reporting to Congress on it, there must be something to all of this. No, my dog didn't foreshadow or react oddly. She did look up as it went over. I really don't know what this was, I canvassed both areas of expertise. I would much prefer that it be a real world, nuts and bolts explanation. Ultimately, I do not think it was. Within this forum the standard parameters (and I know I goofed up by not immediately noting day/time and then searching on that with the tools I now know exist). I am sorry, I will do better in the future (if unlikely it ever happens again) are being stretched to the point where I mistook a normal aircraft doing a normal action compared to what I saw. Versus, the other way, the other forum that has profiles (I didn't know they had profiles) that fits what I saw, how it behaved. I had no idea about any of that. And seeing what I saw while weird for this forum and it fits better into UFO Hunters, I'm still not comfortable saying "that's what it was". It happened too fast, it was too close to what airplane could do. If it had gone ballistic and punched a hole into the cloud deck, I'd be on fully on board. Sadly, it didn't.
 
Lol. So not down playing, but, I know nothing about any of that. I do understand your drift. I read that NIDs used dogs as biosensors and considering the DoD financed this research and staffed it with scientists, and the US Navy is now reporting to Congress on it, there must be something to all of this. No, my dog didn't foreshadow or react oddly. She did look up as it went over. I really don't know what this was, I canvassed both areas of expertise. I would much prefer that it be a real world, nuts and bolts explanation. Ultimately, I do not think it was. Within this forum the standard parameters (and I know I goofed up by not immediately noting day/time and then searching on that with the tools I now know exist). I am sorry, I will do better in the future (if unlikely it ever happens again) are being stretched to the point where I mistook a normal aircraft doing a normal action compared to what I saw. Versus, the other way, the other forum that has profiles (I didn't know they had profiles) that fits what I saw, how it behaved. I had no idea about any of that. And seeing what I saw while weird for this forum and it fits better into UFO Hunters, I'm still not comfortable saying "that's what it was". It happened too fast, it was too close to what airplane could do. If it had gone ballistic and punched a hole into the cloud deck, I'd be on fully on board. Sadly, it didn't. If it is, in fact aliens, they are stooping pretty low for getting their yuks by buzzing my tower. Trump, Biden, DeGrasse (better land on him)? Ya, they should go hit that.
 
cool.

yea mostly i was wondering if she whined or anything. sensing aliens. they say dogs whine or react weird if ghosts are around ( :) )
but if they were high up maybe she couldnt sense their alien vibe anyway. or maybe aliens arent as scary as ghosts.
So odd stuff. Ya, in full disclosure, I've had stuff I can't explain happen to me, but, never on a plane, so probably not the right forum for it.
 
cool.

yea mostly i was wondering if she whined or anything. sensing aliens. they say dogs whine or react weird if ghosts are around ( :) )
but if they were high up maybe she couldnt sense their alien vibe anyway. or maybe aliens arent as scary as ghosts.
....admire how you think.
 
Lol. So not down playing, but, I know nothing about any of that. I do understand your drift. I read that NIDs used dogs as biosensors and considering the DoD financed this research and staffed it with scientists, and the US Navy is now reporting to Congress on it, there must be something to all of this. No, my dog didn't foreshadow or react oddly. She did look up as it went over. I really don't know what this was, I canvassed both areas of expertise. I would much prefer that it be a real world, nuts and bolts explanation. Ultimately, I do not think it was. Within this forum the standard parameters (and I know I goofed up by not immediately noting day/time and then searching on that with the tools I now know exist). I am sorry, I will do better in the future (if unlikely it ever happens again) are being stretched to the point where I mistook a normal aircraft doing a normal action compared to what I saw. Versus, the other way, the other forum that has profiles (I didn't know they had profiles) that fits what I saw, how it behaved. I had no idea about any of that. And seeing what I saw while weird for this forum and it fits better into UFO Hunters, I'm still not comfortable saying "that's what it was". It happened too fast, it was too close to what airplane could do. If it had gone ballistic and punched a hole into the cloud deck, I'd be on fully on board. Sadly, it didn't.
more likely terrestrial. just because other people saw something similar to you and also don't know what it was, doesn't automatically mean ET. but i didnt see it. or hear how loud. nothing you said sounds that bizarre to me. and we often misjudge distances etc. That happens with everything from chemtrails to giant birds to bigfoots to nessie etc.

ufo believers also say literally EVERYTHING is "what ET ufos are like" . one guy in claifornia brings people to watch literal balloons ...party balloons.. and they are close and clear in photos. he says the aliens disguise their ships as party balloons.

Try to avoid letting skeptics talk you into believing anything. Likewise, try to avoid letting UFO hunters talk you into believing anything.

you also mention military activities are not unheard of in your area. i was wondering if it could have been 2 copters and the synchronized strobe was just coincidence. helicopter sometimes have two strobes but ive never seen them synched, so i cant imagine any reason alien strobes would be synched either. i also see no reason aliens would be flying dangerously low either.

i also tend to think the date (or at least the week) would be a bit more ingrained in your psyche if you at all originally were thinking alien.

tell the story to someone, stressing your alien belief.. in front of your dog and see how she looks at you as you tell it. :)
either way, you have a fun story.
 
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