NUFORC Sighting 18790

Occurred: 1980-06-01 09:00 Local - Approximate
Reported: 2001-08-02 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 2MINUTES
No of observers: 1

Location: Plymouth (UK/England), , United Kingdom

Shape: Oval

HELLO THERE.I LIVE IN PLYMOUTH,DEVON IN THE SOUTH WEST OF ENGLAND,WHERE THIS SIGHTING OCCURED.IT WAS A LONG TIME AGO,AROUND 1980, THAT I WAS WORKING ON A SCHOOL EXPANSION PROJECT IN THE CITY.AT THAT TIME I WAS A TRAINEE SCAFFOLDER, A JOB THAT INVOLVED GETTING MATERIALS FROM THE GROUND UP TO THE MEN,WHICH NATURALLY INCURRED "LOTS OF LOOKING UP" AS IT WAS MY JOB TO KEEP THE SCAFFOLDERS SUPPLIED WITH THE RIGHT KIT.THIS EVENT HAPPENED AT APPROX 0900HRS ON A BRISK CRYSTAL CLEAR WINTER MORNING,AT THE ACTUAL LOCATION OF THE NEW SCHOOL BUILDING.THE MEN WERE AT WORK UP ON THE PERIMETER OF THE ROOF,CONSTRUCTING A TEMPERARY HANDRAIL, CONTINUALLY BARKING OUT ORDERS TO ME.AS A SCAFFOLDER SHOUTED DOWN TO ME,I NOTICED MOVEMENT (BEHIND)NEAR OR AROUND HIS HEAD AND AS MY EYES FOCUSED ON THIS MOVEMENT FAR UP IN THE SKY IT BECAME CLEAR THAT IT WAS SOMETHING DISTINCTLY UNUSUAL,IN THAT YOU COULD SEE THAT IT WAS A VERY LONG WAY UP, BUT ITS SPEED DIDNT MATCH THAT WHICH YOU WOULD ASSOCIATE WITH ANY KNOWN CRAFT.IT WAS VIRTUALLY STREAKING ALONG,EVEN AT THAT HIGH ALTITUDE,(WHICH I WOULD SAY SEEMED A LOT HIGHER THAN A CIVILIAN JET WOULD CRUISE AT)AGAIN,AS MY EYES NOW LOCKED ON THE OBJECT, I COULD MAKE OUT THAT IT WAS A DEFINITE OVAL SHAPE,MAYBE SLIGHTLY EGG SHAPED AND IT HAD A DULL METALLIC SHEEN,SIMILAR TO BRUSHED ALUMINIUM.THERE WERE NO LIGHTS,SMOKE,NOISE,OR ANY OTHER FEATURE TO REPORT,JUST THIS DULL GREY OBJECT STREAKING FROM MY LEFT TO RIGHT ON A STEADY STRAIGHT COURSE,AS IF"ON RAILS".I SHOUTED TO THE SCAFFOLDERS ABOVE ME TO LOOK AT THE CURIOUS OBJECT AND POINTED IT OUT AS IT SHOT ACROSS THE SKY, BUT THEY COULDNT EXACTLY TURN AND LOOK, BECAUSE THE ROOF SHEETING WAS MISSING AND THEY WERE BALANCING PRECARIOUSLY ON THE THIN STEEL PEARLINGS.THEY ALL LOOKED AROUND THE BEST THEY COULD, BUT WERE TOO BUSY STAYING ALIVE!ANYHOW,I KEPT SHOUTING OUT ALL THE SAME AND THEN A TOTALLY UNEXPECED THING HAPPENED.SUDDENLY,IT KIND OF PULLED AROUND REALLY SHARPLY TO THE LEFT AS IFYOU WERE TO RUN TOWARD A LAMPOST AND SUDDENLY REACH OUT, GRAB, AND R! OCKET BA CK THE WAY YOU CAME,KIND OF A SLINGSHOT EFFECT.THE MANOEVER WAS EXTRAORDINARY,IT WOULD HAVE TORN ANY THING THAT WE HAD APART.DURING THIS SLINGSHOT IT INCREASED SPEED ALMOST EXPONENTIALLY UNTIL IT VIRTUALLY DISSAPPEARED DUE TO THE FANTASTIC ACCELLERATION, IN ALMOST THE WINK OF AN EYE,AND THEN IT WAS GONE. MY WORKMATES GAVE ME A LOT OF STICK IN THE CANTEEN SOON AFTERWARDS AND, THOUGH THEY WOULDNT DREAM OF CALLING ME A LIAR, THEY RECKONED THAT I MUST HAVE SEEN A MISSILE OR ROCKET AND PUT IT DOWN TO THAT.I, HOWEVER,KNEW THAT WHAT I HAD WITNESSED WAS A SOLID THREE DIMENSIONAL OBJECT THAT HAD DEFIED THE LAWS OF PHYSICS.AT THAT TIME AND TO THIS DAY,MY HOBBY WAS AND STILL IS,AIRCRAFT BOTH MILITARY AND CIVILIAN AND I KNEW THAT I HAD WITNESSED SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY THAT MORNING THAT OUTPERFORMED ANYTHING I HAD OR WOULD SEE TO THIS DAY.

Posted 2001-08-05