NUFORC Sighting 180589

Occurred: 2024-02-24 10:30 Local
Reported: 2024-02-25 22:28 Pacific
Duration: Two minutes
No of observers: 1 - Aviation Expert

Location: Great Hallingbury, England, United Kingdom
Location details: UFO was hovering southeast of my location driving on the M11.

Shape: Cigar
Color: Metallic
Estimated Size: 60 meters or more
Viewed From: Land
Direction from Viewer: Southeast
Angle of Elevation: 30
Closest Distance: 2 km
Estimated Speed: Hovering, then extremely fast.

UFO looked like a huge elongated wing seen edge on. It was hovering about 2 km from my location. It then abruptly vanished.

I grew up in Colorado Springs near the US Air Force Academy. I am also a spaceflight journalist. I've seen an enormous variety of planes, gliders and rockets in flight. This was different. The UFO was like a huge, elongated wing seen edge-on. It's possible that it could have been a long, thin cigar, but my mind insisted that it had to be a wing of some kind because it was in flight. Given the distance, the object was at least as big as the wingspan of a jumbo jet. It gleamed brightly in the sunlight. I've seen jets on approach to many airports and know that they can appear to hover. But this was different. The object hung there for at least two minutes, and then the trees blocked my view for about 45 seconds as I drove down the motorway. When I emerged from the trees, the object had utterly vanished. A landing jet would have passed over the motorway, and couldn't have reached my location that quickly. A glider definitely couldn't have vacated the area that fast. I am frankly mystified. The only mundane explanation I can think of is an atmospheric phenomena like ice crystals reflecting sunlight. But, given the shape and metallic appearance, I can't convince myself that this is true.

This is my first ever UFO sighting. If anyone in Essex near Stansted saw anything similar, I want to hear from you.

Posted 2024-03-13