1904 Enigma

Around 8 PM PST while visiting the San Diego region tonight, I witnessed an unfamiliar aircraft fly overhead on a heading of about 180 (flight direction is downward in the photo). To my regret, I did not think to take an image of the aircraft until it was nearing directly overhead.

What I found interesting about the aircraft was it's unusually slow airspeed and quiet propulsion system, for it's apparently large size. It had an audible noise, that could not be heard until the aircraft was nearly overhead, sounding like a quiet rotor system. I have since reviewed online videos from similar view angles of C-5, C-17, C-130 and V-22, but see no matches. Can anyone identify this light pattern that is shown on the underside of this vehicle?

I also checked Flight Aware to see if there were any commercial or general aviation flight paths near my location, but no matches were found. Sorry again for the lacking detail, as I used my mobile phone to take the image. I can provide more description as needed.

a reply to: TAGBOARD

Nice capture!!

a reply to: TAGBOARD

Best guess for that area is either a Hawkeye or Greyhound working with a carrier offshore. Probably a Greyhound operating out of Miramar.

a reply to: TAGBOARD

I played with the image but can't really extract any more useful info other than that the small lower center triplet of lights are producing a rather well defined heart shape. This may be because one light is shining along the hull of the craft, elongating its image.

Perhaps a high lift helicopter with outrider lights on pontoons/wheels and its landing lights on?

This could make the topmost light a nose or tail light and orient the craft as flying either directly towards, or directly away, from you.

reminds of the the business jets that fly over my house. many times they will just have the engines at idle as they come in for a landing and they are dead quiet going over except for that tiny spooling noise of the turbines

Just dont show it to the UFO guys...

I think it might be a tanker of some kind lit up for night refueling.

a reply to: Blackfinger

Actually, it is a UFO.

Unless you can identify it for us.