NUFORC Sighting 118468

Occurred: 2001-06-01 13:00 Local - Approximate
Reported: 2015-04-17 10:13 Pacific
Duration: 5 minutes
No of observers: 2

Location: Charlotte, NC, USA

Shape: Egg
Characteristics: Aircraft nearby

My wife and I lived on Lake Norman from late 1992 to mid 2002. Starting around 1998 we began to notice silver egg-shaped objects following aircraft around Charlotte International Airport. I would estimate dozens of clear sightings from 1998 until 2001. Most of the sightings were on clear, sunny days but some on cloudy, overcast days. The craft were mostly viewed following south to north, which would be more with departing aircraft but on occasion they would follow aircraft on high-approach, north to south. Sometimes above and behind and sometimes below and behind.

I am ex-career Air Force so I have a pretty good knowledge of aircraft and flight behavior. This was always a formation type pursuit as if they were pacing the aircraft. If I were to judge distance I would estimate up to a quarter of a mile behind at times but on occasion we would see one directly above or below usually 300+ feet from the aircraft. Objects would pace the aircraft from seconds to a few minutes and sometimes it was not uncommon to see the object switch and follow another aircraft. This would go on from five to ten minutes and sometimes more. Altitudes generally ranged from 3000 feet up to 5000 feet.

The objects were always silver-metallic and egg shaped. About a third of the size of the aircraft, generally a commercial airliner, 135 or DC-10. There were no other markings on the object but you could clearly see it was sphere shaped and no flat surfaces visible. A very polished and smooth looking object. When the object left it was in an instant like a bolt of lightning. Just a streak across the sky and then gone! Can't imagine the G-Force it had to undergo when it disappeared.

Never did set a pattern to when they would appear but it was often enough that neighbors and people we knew from around the general area would see them and talk about it. Occasionally would witness objects with pulsating, multi-colored lights pacing aircraft at night but not very often. Spent most of my young adult life on or around Air Force bases but have never witnessed anything like that before, or since I left the Lake Norman area.

NUFORC Note:

Witness indicates that the date of the sighting is approximate. PD

Posted 2015-04-17