Crafts I Saw at 39,000 Feet

a reply to: tweetie

Tweetie, someone replied to your post with a facile explanation, assuring you that it was 'just a dream.' This is the type of reply you'll get these days, unfortunately. I am not saying ALL replies, but it is typical of the rabid sarcasm and cynicism rising in the world now, especially in the West. It is so easy to diss people, insult them, ridicule them, laugh at them, and enlarge your ego to monstrous proportions through a keyboard, thinking that you are 'better' than they are. It is all a painful illusion. Plenty of Fish is an example of this. Go to their forums (or fora, if you want to be 'right') and you will need tranquillizers to get through a couple of pages. The women there, especially, have a desperate need to 'attack' the men. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. At least here the majority of posts are 'intelligent.' As for your sightings, I believe you. Something you said, I won't say what it was, struck me and gave me good reason to believe what you were describing. About five years ago, here in New Zealand, where I live, I saw a craft one night around 9.45pm. It was late summer and there was still deep red in the west, towards Australia, but the majority of the sky was black or deepest blue. I was standing on the verandah having a cup of soup, getting ready for bed, when this 'object' suddenly appeared, as if it had 'whooshed' up from the lake. (We are fairly high up here and you can see the curvature of the earth if you go up a little more.) Anyway, it suddenly stopped. I mean . . . stopped. It hung there for at least two minutes, about 300ft up. It made no noise. Not a peep. It was jet black, as black as the Earl of Hell's waistcoat, as we say back in Scotland. No lights, not even a glimmer of dimness of light of any kind. Just black. It was oval shaped, sort of, kind of elliptical. There was no smoke or exhaust. No shimmering. Nothing. But what got me was this deep sense that this object, whatever it was, knew I was watching it. I know that sounds strange, but I had an inexplicable feeling that it was aware it was being observed. I was literally right there, below it. If I had a sling I could have hit it with a pebble. (Although God knows what the consequences would have been.) And then, suddenly, it tilted, flew over me and moved off through a gap in the mountains, gliding away effortlessly, no noise, no vapour, no strange colours coming from any part of it. Just black. Just deep black. Just a black hole of -- strangeness. I told this to a friend of mine, an American from Oregon, who has experienced many things in his own life, and he had something to say about it. I don't think I will ever come across anything like it again. I have to say that I was not just in awe of it, but that I was fearful of it. Best wishes to everyone.

a reply to: Moresby

I've no doubt they can be very convincing like you say. I've been studying the mind and how the mind is influenced by a variety of factors for a long time. I'm excessively self-conscious and self-aware and am continuously observing myself and what effects my being and perceptions of my being. Nothing so far would convince me what I saw was a hallucination even despite the fact I don't have an ID yet for what I saw. I think it would be short-sighted for me to blow it off as a hallucination. There are other avenues I can pursue.

My life doesn't depend on finding the correct answer but it would be nice to eventually have it to my satisfaction.

originally posted by: Flipper35

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: ufoorbhunter

I suppose each to there own, but you do relies the generation we live in? Every Tom, Dick and Harry are quite frankly snap happy. Ive seen plenty of stunned people record all kinds of crazy stuff, sometimes at there own personal danger, eyes never moving away from the spectacle yet there wee hands are coming up with there mobile, and clicking away.

For the record, I still have a flip phone.

Good for you!!

originally posted by: ProtiosDrin
what was the flight number you flew on? we can track the flight path and see if anyone else said they saw anything. 2014 had a few drone near misses.

Southwest #733; March 6, 2014. Hartford to Orlando. 6 AM. We didn't leave on time because it was terribly cold that morning and the water pipes on the plane froze. We sat there for a while in the plane and then got in line for de-icing. I've no idea what time we actually took off.

a reply to: CoinforCharon

Oh, wow!! That's quite the event you described! I've never had that kind of experience but plenty of people have. It leaves a huge impression, never to be forgotten. Thanks for sharing that.

Concerning your comments about the environment on the Internet I know exactly what you mean and I have a name for it. It's a virulent, mental virus passed from user to user and I refuse to let myself be infected by it.

originally posted by: stupidusernamehere
Could it have been something like this?

I can see how at the right angles it might look like a smaller shuttle with a row of windows. It would probably also be able to fly faster than an airliner in most cases.

I'm not sure if I already replied to you but in case I didn't I will now. I'm certain the crafts I saw weren't one of those but thanks for the picture!! Even at a distance what I saw would not match up.

originally posted by: tweetie
a reply to: Moresby

I've no doubt they can be very convincing like you say. I've been studying the mind and how the mind is influenced by a variety of factors for a long time. I'm excessively self-conscious and self-aware and am continuously observing myself and what effects my being and perceptions of my being. Nothing so far would convince me what I saw was a hallucination even despite the fact I don't have an ID yet for what I saw. I think it would be short-sighted for me to blow it off as a hallucination. There are other avenues I can pursue.

My life doesn't depend on finding the correct answer but it would be nice to eventually have it to my satisfaction.

Just another thing to throw into the hopper. Because average people mistake then for real events. And have throughout human history.

If you wish to prove to yourself and others that this was a real event, you'll need to start by finding independent corroboration. Preferably contemporaneous. And go from there.

Of course, it's fine if you don't want to do that. It's an interesting story regardless.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: tweetie

There are quite a few aircraft that have markings that are extremely difficult to see from any distance. I used to have aircraft come through that only had a small tail number by the horizontal stabilizer. Other than that it had a stripe down the side that could be on any aircraft. Pretty logos are great on artist concepts and models but not so much in the real world.

Would the aircraft you mention not having readily visible markings be military, private or commercial, or all?

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: tweetie

Why did you not attempt to capture a picture or two of the craft in question?

Did you not have a mobile phone, or even the person next to you have one?

Flying at 39k .......

Do you really think he had time....THINK b4 you post-!

a reply to: NoCorruptionAllowed

"egs state that no pilot can fly a plane anywhere closer than 5 miles away for commercial jets up in the cruising area."

Well, I've flown WAY closer than 5 miles ...like more of 1/4 mile-! Passing under us-!

originally posted by: Komodo
a reply to: NoCorruptionAllowed

"egs state that no pilot can fly a plane anywhere closer than 5 miles away for commercial jets up in the cruising area."

Well, I've flown WAY closer than 5 miles ...like more of 1/4 mile-! Passing under us-!

2nd that...on one job, the Non-US pilot took me and the nav/comm op
literally less than a half-a-click away to an overseas commercial airbus flight
and it sure wasn't any ordered engagement (i.e. no lock-on!) or training flight.
Same flight level -- He did that for FUN!

Close Flight Ops are far more common than you can imagine!
Some accidental, some official ...and some not so official....

i.e. more for personal entertainment! -- Many Pilots ARE Hot Doggers!

a reply to: tweetie

All of the above. Airlines generally have their logo, but if they got an aircraft they had leased out back, or had just leased one, many times they wait to paint them until they're down for scheduled maintenance to save money.

The only required markings are 6-12 inch registration numbers on the fuselage near the tail. And larger, I believe 36 inch numbers on the bottom of the wing.

a reply to: Komodo

Reduced minimum separation. Something like 1,000 feet vertically, and 2 miles horizontally IIRC.

a reply to: tweetie

Appreciate it, Tweetie. I sure do. There is so much to discuss, one doesn't know where to start.

Did it by any chance look like this?

img.planespotters.net...

I am curious to know how you think the object was in 39k ft?

39k ft is not a uncommon altitude, especially for fighter jets or even tankers (like the KC-10) who fly all the way up to FL420 .. the close range of the objects might have been a refueling operation.

Private jets have service ceilings of up to 51k ft - like the G650.

originally posted by: Komodo
a reply to: NoCorruptionAllowed

"egs state that no pilot can fly a plane anywhere closer than 5 miles away for commercial jets up in the cruising area."

Well, I've flown WAY closer than 5 miles ...like more of 1/4 mile-! Passing under us-!

Yeah it happens.. I have seen other jets seemingly closer than 5 miles to the plane I was on, flying from SF to Shanghai 4 times and saw lots of what looked like serious FAA violations..

a reply to: NoCorruptionAllowed

There are exceptions to the five mile rule, that allow for a 3 mile separation.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: NoCorruptionAllowed

There are exceptions to the five mile rule, that allow for a 3 mile separation.

Doesn't mean you have to follow it .. especially in uncontrolled airspace ....

originally posted by: NoCorruptionAllowed

originally posted by: Komodo
a reply to: NoCorruptionAllowed

"egs state that no pilot can fly a plane anywhere closer than 5 miles away for commercial jets up in the cruising area."

Well, I've flown WAY closer than 5 miles ...like more of 1/4 mile-! Passing under us-!

Yeah it happens.. I have seen other jets seemingly closer than 5 miles to the plane I was on, flying from SF to Shanghai 4 times and saw lots of what looked like serious FAA violations..

===

If the flight is of a foreign origin and landing then the FAA has no jurisdiction
over the other planes location or flight level in International airspace.
They CAN however lodge a complaint with the other country's department
of transport (in Canada it's the DOT, in Europe it could a one of three
or four centralized authorities.)

Please note the FAA has NO JURISDICTION AT ALL over another country's planes
in the pacific ocean in international airspace. The usa DOES NOT have control
over that airspace! If the other plane wants to fly 10 feet away from your plane,
other than a military interdiction by US forces, the US plane can really only lodge
a complaint (WHICH MOST countries will take rather SERIOUSLY!).

That said, I know literally EVERY DAY planes fly close to each other
completely bypassing FAA, CAN-DOT, EU, JP, etc flight distance guidelines
through accident or by design.

This is why we NEED to move forward on a fail-safe Highway in the Sky
system with Synthetic Vision Systems that show all nearby planes on a
colour 3D overall skyview heads-up display. ALL planes needs this
to prevent collisions with OTHER aircraft and incoming orbital debris,
spacecraft, meteorites and YES secret flights by secret government spaceplanes!