Date Submitted: 09/27/2011

Visitor: Geoffrey P.

An incident happend to me some twenty years ago, the exact date I don't recall.  It was late one night while driving home from London to South Ockendon (I am now living in Rainham Essex UK }, 

At around midnight I had just driven down hill from Aveley on totally empty roads, as I was crossing over the M25, I saw two red lights in the sky.  I estimated they were above South Ockendon rail station, traveling towards me above Arisdale Ave.

After I had crossed the M25 along b1335 I turned left into Stifford Rd, then left into Foyle Drive. The red lights flying towards me turned right then left, this then put them on a direct line heading straight towards me flying above and along the same road, [ Foyle Drive ], this road is very long about a mile and dead straight. About two thirds of the way down I turned left into Humber Ave, ( to get to my house in Hamble Lane), the lights at this point turned right to put them on course directly above me. 

I stopped the car and turned off the engine,  { now this is the strange part };  the weather was raining, not the usual rain but that very fine drizzle, almost atomised rain, extremely fine, causing poor visibility. Because of my flying knowledge, I knew it was not the right conditions for flying, no planes would be flying in very bad weather and at night. 

My {ex wife} was asleep in the front passenger seat, I stepped out and looked up, the craft if I can call it that, was travelling incredibly slow around 5 to 10 mile an hour, it was also very low another thing that a plane would not do.

I have always had a keen interest in aircraft at 16 I was a member of 4F 'ATC' {Air Training Core } { This was to low and to slow above a built up area }.  It seemed to be about 150 to 200 feet above me but due to the very bad raining conditions it was difficult to see.

As it passed directly above me I estimated it was { to put it into prospective } about twice the width and length of a 747, tubular / cigar shape with no apparent wings for lift. 

The other thing that I became aware of was the almost lack of sound, to me something of this size would need a very powerful engine.  In the past I have been to a few air shows and if you have ever been yourself, you would know that even the smallest planes or jets are very noisy and have reach almost 50 mile an hour just to get airborne. 

As the tail end passed over me, I heard what I can only describe as a silent roar,  along with a faint red glow, I assumed this was coming from the engine or power sauce.

I had been standing in the road on my own and apart from the almost silent noise, you could have heard a pin drop, anyone one sleeping in the houses around me would not have heard a thing. 

As it moved away from me I wanted to follow it  but at the end of the road was a small Forrest called Brickklin Wood running right down the middle of this Forrest was the M25. This made it impossible for me to follow.

From this point I have no recollection. 

My mind from that moment till the next morning was  and still is a complete blank, I don't recall getting back into my car and driving the last 100 yards to my house or anything else till the next day. 

So what did I see and what kept it up in the air while moving so slow, I am not sure, to this day it has plagued me, I expect I will never know. I have also enclosed a VERY clear photo of another incident that may be of interest.

Cheers Geoff.