NUFORC Sighting 166691

Occurred: 2022-02-13 19:13 Local
Reported: 2022-02-14 14:18 Pacific
Duration: 5 min
No of observers: 1

Location: Spokane, WA, USA
Location details: Three unidentified bright objects near USAF BASE

Shape: Formation

Two Lights first appeared to be approaching landing pattern in tandum

Two Lights first appeared to be approaching from 152 degrees, [as measured by my iPhone Compass] this hour.
Then a second one appeared lower and at the 7 o-clock position of the first two. Third light was moving horizontally just below and not far from the horizon[not in an approach altitude for sure) and vanished as it crossed the path of the first two orbs.
At first I thought they were military on an approach to Fairchild.. This latter was measured on a map not in their landing approach pattern or runway alignments.
As the third light vanished, the upper two moved slightly to the right in sync and sped up a bit, but not at a speed [very slow] compared to a typical airliner or a USAF TANKER.
OBJECTS STOPPED FOR A MOMENT AND STARTED TO RISE EXPONENTIALLY VERTICALLY [BOTH] AS THEY DISAPPEARED INTO THE CLOUD COVER BASE.
AT NO TIME WERE THERE ANY ROTOR SOUNDS OR JET ENGINE NOISE.
DISTANCE IS HARD TO CALCULATE, BUT APPEARED TO BE MORE THAN 5 MILES, OVER THE SOUTH MT AREA OF SPOKANE, OR IN THE EASTERN AREAS OF Chenny., WA.
So it was probably about a max of 15 miles to a min. of 5 miles sic: ~10 miles
Again, there were no blinking strobe lights or navigational lights.
It was just a solid white-orange constant illumination with no apparent rotation visible - then instead of landing, of which I was expecting, one vanished and the other two shot vertically both together into the cloud cover.
The altitude was way below that of approach landing patterns given their approx distance from the airbase.
SUMMARY
Three distinctly vivid bright white to orange lights slowly maneuvering in or below the landing pattern of an AF Base, or about 500 feet altitude, then shot up into the clouds.

Gene Weed

Posted 2022-03-04