Lights Formation in Sky Over JFK Airport

I caught this video as part of a larger channel's submission on YouTube and decided to go to the source just to check if the up-loader had any previous videos that aroused any suspicion that it may be a hoax. I found nothing in his previous submissions to suggest even the slightest of interests in UFO activity or the Paranormal. He has done quite a few daylight videos from the air, none of which appear to have any inference to UFO activity.

Based on that, here is the video which runs for 1:37. It has good clarity, despite some zooming in and out...



My observations see three lights in a static formation, with the plane moving from right to left. To me, the lights indicate a triangle and as the plane moves either the angle of view makes the lights appear to change position or the lights are actually rotating in formation. The lights look to stay on the same level as the distances between them change. They look too high to be obstruction warning lights and I cannot see any flashing aviation lights attached to the formation. At 0:27 a light passes across the field of view from left right and appears to be above the formation. At 1:02, a vehicle with aviation lights passes from left to right at roughly the same level but difficult to tell if nearer or further away from the camera.

As the video gets near the end, the two lights at the right of the formation appear to grow ever closer together. In my opinion this suggests fixed lights on a rotating object. With the city lights under the formation the whole time, they appear to be quite distant. At first I thought they could be lights on a hillside but not being familiar with the topography in that area, I can't say for sure.

Chinese lanterns looks unlikely, as does flares, which I discounted due to the lights not falling, the built-up area and the amount of traffic that could be in the skies...but that is just surmising on my part. Drones? Again, I'm not sure what size they would have to be and the reason for them just hanging there in formation, however, I suppose we cannot rule them out completely without further info.

Any possible ideas from anyone as to what these could be?

a reply to: fromtheskydown

Anything on when this occurred?

a reply to: Willtell

I genuinely have no idea, I live in the UK and was hoping someone in the vicinity would bring something to the table. To be honest, I know some will come on and attribute the lights to drones or flares without adding anything substantial but these recurring formations of three lights must have some kind of common reason, whether that be military or non-military.

*EDIT* I would presume the guy uploaded this pretty soon after the event but cannot say for sure. Upload date is 15th March 2018.

a reply to: fromtheskydown

3 planes probably also coming in to land at the same airport. The middle one at least has a flashing light which would indicate an aircraft of some kind. That's my guesstimate anyway, not a UFO.

originally posted by: fromtheskydown
a reply to: Willtell

I genuinely have no idea, I live in the UK and was hoping someone in the vicinity would bring something to the table. To be honest, I know some will come on and attribute the lights to drones or flares without adding anything substantial but these recurring formations of three lights must have some kind of common reason, whether that be military or non-military.

*EDIT* I would presume the guy uploaded this pretty soon after the event but cannot say for sure. Upload date is 15th March 2018.

That didn't look like any drone or flares to me but a real UFO.

originally posted by: LightSpeedDriver
a reply to: fromtheskydown

3 planes probably also coming in to land at the same airport. The middle one at least has a flashing light which would indicate an aircraft of some kind. That's my guesstimate anyway, not a UFO.

Thanks for the reply. I'm afraid I don't see any flashing light on the middle one and by that reasoning, why no flashing lights on the other two? Also, at 1:02 a vehicle with what I perceive to be standard aircraft lights passes from left to right and is totally different to the three lights in question.

I know aircraft waiting to land circle in stacks and although I know little about the technicalities, these lights look too regularly spaced and too close together for the safety of standard air traffic.

originally posted by: fromtheskydown

originally posted by: LightSpeedDriver
a reply to: fromtheskydown

3 planes probably also coming in to land at the same airport. The middle one at least has a flashing light which would indicate an aircraft of some kind. That's my guesstimate anyway, not a UFO.

Thanks for the reply. I'm afraid I don't see any flashing light on the middle one and by that reasoning, why no flashing lights on the other two? Also, at 1:02 a vehicle with what I perceive to be standard aircraft lights passes from left to right and is totally different to the three lights in question.

I know aircraft waiting to land circle in stacks and although I know little about the technicalities, these lights look too regularly spaced and too close together for the safety of standard air traffic.

Maybe the lights are stationary and the plane is turning which makes the lights appear to change position since the plane's position relative to them changes.

Occam wonders if anyone else saw it I mean its not like you are in a high population area around there..

He would also ask why the "ufo" doesnt actually move but rather is consistent with being stationary while the plane the person filming is is moving which explain the point of view change you see at the end.

originally posted by: roadgravel
Maybe the lights are stationary and the plane is turning which makes the lights appear to change position since the plane's position relative to them changes.

That was something I speculated could be happening. I'm no expert though but I think the movement in the immediate foreground could support that explanation. Stationary lights, I cannot explain.

Would be nice to know the flight or what was the direction of the approach or the runway used. Too much area to do a random search for structures.

originally posted by: opethPA
Occam wonders if anyone else saw it I mean its not like you are in a high population area around there..

He would also ask why the "ufo" doesnt actually move but rather is consistent with being stationary while the plane the person filming is is moving which explain the point of view change you see at the end.

I have no idea on the population density of the area, although it does look pretty much built-up with all the lights. I am now leaning toward the lights being stationary and the movement of the plane being the reason for the appearance of rotation.

originally posted by: roadgravel
Would be nice to know the flight or what was the direction of the approach or the runway used. Too much area to do a random search for structures.

True. Do the lights appear to high to you, to be on a structure when compared to the other lights...unless they are on a hillside?

a reply to: fromtheskydown

the middle one at the end absolutely has nav lights flashing..judging from the few planes in the area this must be close to the airport..they are in formation for their arrival...not unusual to see muliple planes in line for approach..

originally posted by: fromtheskydown

originally posted by: opethPA
Occam wonders if anyone else saw it I mean its not like you are in a high population area around there..

He would also ask why the "ufo" doesnt actually move but rather is consistent with being stationary while the plane the person filming is is moving which explain the point of view change you see at the end.

I have no idea on the population density of the area, although it does look pretty much built-up with all the lights. I am now leaning toward the lights being stationary and the movement of the plane being the reason for the appearance of rotation.

A fair point as you may not know just how visible thr airspace near JFK is..

JFK is located in Queens which is one of the burroughs of NYC. Essentially there are a zillion people that most likely sould have seen a UFO that big..

Good to see you are leaning towards stationary though. Watching the video again the light's never move.

originally posted by: fromtheskydown

originally posted by: roadgravel
Would be nice to know the flight or what was the direction of the approach or the runway used. Too much area to do a random search for structures.

True. Do the lights appear to high to you, to be on a structure when compared to the other lights...unless they are on a hillside?

They don't appear very high up. An aircraft passes by quite a bit above them. Compare them to other lighting on the ground, they seem similar.

a reply to: fromtheskydown

What's the location? They look stationary and the only movement I can make out is the camera is moving. Transmission towers of some kind perhaps.

originally posted by: chrismarco
a reply to: fromtheskydown

the middle one at the end absolutely has nav lights flashing..judging from the few planes in the area this must be close to the airport..they are in formation for their arrival...not unusual to see muliple planes in line for approach..

It must be me as I am not seeing any aviation lights, just slight flickering as most of the lights in the video seem to be doing. I'm not saying you are wrong, just that I don't see anything like the one that appears at the 1:02 mark, which is clearly an aviation light.

originally posted by: roadgravel

originally posted by: fromtheskydown

originally posted by: roadgravel
Would be nice to know the flight or what was the direction of the approach or the runway used. Too much area to do a random search for structures.

True. Do the lights appear to high to you, to be on a structure when compared to the other lights...unless they are on a hillside?

They don't appear very high up. An aircraft passes by quite a bit above them. Compare them to other lighting on the ground, they seem similar.

I thought this. It would be helpful if someone who knows the area quite well could bring out a solution. Trying to figure it out using Google maps is nigh on impossible for me in the UK. As opethPA says, high population...somebody else must have noticed them.

originally posted by: Blaine91555
a reply to: fromtheskydown

What's the location? They look stationary and the only movement I can make out is the camera is moving. Transmission towers of some kind perhaps.

Possibly but without being familiar with the area, I have no concrete idea. I wonder if the guy who posted the video knew they were out of the ordinary or just speculating. As I said, none of his other uploads suggest this.