NUFORC Sighting 38287

Occurred: 2004-07-10 12:05 Local
Reported: 2004-07-24 08:34 Pacific
Duration: 5 minutes
No of observers: 0

Location: Hilton, NY, USA

Shape: Circle

Saw object in sky moving erratically.

Sighting Date: Saturday, July 10, 2004 Time: Approximately 12:05 PM Sky Condition: Had been totally cloud covered early but was clearing west to east.

By noon only a few small widely scattered clouds to west and overhead, still cloud covered to east.

I had been working in the garden and decided to go into the house for a drink of water. The garden is about 150 feet east of the house. As I walked I looked up at the sky above the roofline of house. There was an object making an erratic motion, almost like a piece of paper drifting on a wind. As I watched and it came closer I could see it was making small circles and I thought it was a turkey buzzard riding a thermal. I live in western New York near the shore of Lake Ontario and this is a common sight on warm, sunny days.

My wife was with me and I commented to her that it looked awfully high. At about this time the object disappeared behind a small cirrus cloud. I then knew it was not a buzzard and ran into the house a got binoculars. By the time I got back outside the object was directly above me.

My initial thought looking at it with the glasses was that it was a bald eagle because the color was right and had what appeared to be a white head. After watching it make a few circles I could see that it was a circular craft and when it banked with top facing sun there was a bright metalic shine like stainless steel. It traveled slowly across the sky from west to east continualy making circles.

After five minutes it was east at about forty degrees to horizon and approaching solid cloud cover.

I wondered if it was still visible without the binoculars and attemped to locate it without them.

Just as I spotted it, it suddenly changed direction, looping north over the lake and headed west at blazing speed. I said to my wife "look at that sucker go" and just that quick it was gone. Went in house and checked time, 12:10 PM.

Object's shape: Circular with portion missing, like a clock face with portion between 5 and 7 cut away. This missing section extended to center of craft and always faced to the outside of the loops it was flying. It looped counterclockwise.

Object's size: Hard to determine not knowing its altitude. I checked local weather information on the internet and clould cover in region was listed at 20,000 feet. It was above the clouds. As stated before I thought it was a turkey buzzard soaring.

Color: Brownish to light black on bottom. Top portion visible only when banked facing sun was very shiny, like polished stainless steel. At certain points in the loop it shone like a mirror reflecting sunshine.

My conclusion: I think this craft was purposely drawing attention to it by its pecuilar motion. If it had been traveling in straight flight I would not have noticed it. Anyone looking to the west as it approached could not have missed seeing it.

Posted 2004-07-25