Help ID'ing a plane I witnessed

Not sure where else to put this but since I couldn't identify it, I figured the UFO forum was logical.

Anywho....

Last night I was outside around midnight having a smoke and noticed a plane flying across my view from West to East (headed towards Dallas). The plane had a solid white light on which was the only light I could see as it approached (hence why it caught my interest). I kept watching it to be sure I'd see some FAA lights/strobes and once it was almost directly above/in front, I observed another flashing White light, blinking in a regular pattern . This light was slightly behind the front of the craft on the underside. I continued to watch it and never did see any other lights - blue, green or red.

Also this plane was very very very quiet. I would estimate it that it passed overhead at roughly 3000 feet or so and had a report similar to that of a small, private jet like a citation or gulfstream. This thing was soo quiet though.

Question - is it a requirement that FAA lights be of a certain color or pattern?

Thanks for any knowledge

I don't know what kind of plane you saw but I have noticed that some planes look like they have headlights (like a car has). Extremely bring and quiet while there flying. I would have of taken a picture but I was driving at the time and didn't want to cause an accident. But from the way it looked, it looked like a car was driving in the sky.

If you know the time you saw it, check flightradar24.com, this always helps me identify flying objects and should give the plane type too.

reply to post by TXRabbit


Red on one wingtip, green on the other, red strobe or rotating beacon on top and bottom, white lights at the wing roots, and white strobes on the wingtips.

What area are you in? The Air Force owns several blocks of airspace that they can do pretty much what they want in. They just have to issue a Notice to Airmen as to what they're going to be doing, and what blocks of altitude are blocked off.

reply to post by TheSparrowSings


Thanks. I'll check that out

reply to post by Manhater

Those would be landing lights and I see those quite often as I live along an approach-route for Dallas/Fort Worth airport (DFW). I would have recognized those I think but thank you for the suggestion

reply to post by Zaphod58


Thank you Zaph. I live in Mansfield TX which is directly south of Arlington. My particular area is along flight-paths of DFW airport and Grand Prairie regional airport. These paths are North/South so seeing this jet crossing that going East at roughly the same altitude was odd in an of itself

reply to post by TXRabbit


Joint Base Ft Worth is right there. That is home to F-16s, F-18s, and the production line for the F-35. Fighters have a slightly different pattern. They don't require the wingtip strobes, or body strobes. They do need some kind of light that shows that power is applied to the aircraft (the red fuselage light). The F-18 has two red strobe lights on the tails (one on each side) and the F-16 has a white strobe on top of the tail. Not sure about the F-35.

reply to post by Zaphod58


Thanks again Z. I hadn't considered a fighter from Carswell since it was so damned quiet. I guess it could be anything really and since military/gov planes do not need colored lights, I can narrow down the possibilities a bit

reply to post by TXRabbit


They still need the colored lights, but they can always go MARSA (Military Accepts Responsibility for Separation of Aircraft), and turn most of them off. They'll leave one or two on when transiting congested airspace, so other planes can see them, but if they're below or outside of controlled airspace, flying VFR, then they can get away with it, since it's considered training.

Originally posted by Zaphod58
reply to post by TXRabbit

 

They still need the colored lights, but they can always go MARSA (Military Accepts Responsibility for Separation of Aircraft), and turn most of them off. They'll leave one or two on when transiting congested airspace, so other planes can see them, but if they're below or outside of controlled airspace, flying VFR, then they can get away with it, since it's considered training.

That is an interesting point.
But what would be the point in turning off your nav lights while leaving on a much, much brighter landing light (or beacon)?

reply to post by bluestreak53


Transiting through controlled airspace, or a busy air route. You want other aircraft to be able to see you. If you are flying VFR, you aren't necessarily being controlled by ATC, so it might not be obvious that you are there. But if you see a big bright light coming at you from miles away, you can avoid them.

Originally posted by Zaphod58
reply to post by bluestreak53

 

Transiting through controlled airspace, or a busy air route. You want other aircraft to be able to see you. If you are flying VFR, you aren't necessarily being controlled by ATC, so it might not be obvious that you are there. But if you see a big bright light coming at you from miles away, you can avoid them.

That doesn't answer the question. Why would you turn off your nav lights if you want other air traffic to see you?
The purpose of having the nav lights is to allow other aircraft the ability to tell your direction of travel. You can't get that info from a beacon. I suppose you can get that info from landing lights to a degree, but the primary purpose of landing lights is to illuminate the runway.

In any case, I think it is quite possible, (and quite likely) that the OP id not see the nav lights because of the brightness of the landing lights completely overwhelms the ability to see the very low intensity nav lights.

reply to post by bluestreak53


You want air traffic to know where you are, which the landing lights will do. But why turn everything off, just to turn it back on again to let traffic know where you are, and then turn it all back on again? Landing lights will let others know your direction of travel and where you are just fine, and it's a lot easier since it's one switch instead of multiple.

yep, it was just a private jet....hawker or lear or gulf....it was probably at 5500 agl and they coast in a descent that is almost noiseless......even a 737 will be very quiet for a big fanjet.....the lights are all different and observing from the ground makes it all black sometimes till a beacon can show.....engines on= red rotating beacon.......white strobs for anti-collision ....and I can hardly ever spot the nav lights( wing markers)
did you know when the craft are descending from 35,000......120 miles out......that's when ya first spot 'em.....25 minutes away is the record. so, if ya see a light way out there....it's bright because the jet is nose down.....and it's over 90 miles out

I've noticed several planes you've described here in Oklahoma city. Go to YouTube and search the fake plane fake bird phenomena. Alot of people including myself believe these and the chemtrail planes are either shape shifters or ufo projections.i subscribe to the former.Good luck and keep looking up.