Birmingham UFO Group Case Report
Author: Dave Hodrien
Release Date: 22/05/2020
Note: For reasons of anonymity pseudonyms have been used
Sighting Details
Early on the afternoon of 6th May 2020, Simon was having a BBQ with his partner Nicky and family Frank, Tim and Emma in the garden of his house on Bean Road, Dudley. It was a very clear, warm and sunny day. He was getting a bag of coals when he happened to glance to the East in the direction of Birmingham. He noticed a reflective object at very high altitude which was catching the sun’s rays and shining brightly. It was definitely present but due to the distance was only sometimes visible. The object appeared to be above Birmingham city centre. It seemed to be moving very slowly in a Northern direction.
Simon pointed it out to his family and then began attempting to record the object on his mobile phone camera. His partner also tried recording it on her phone. Unfortunately due to the distance he was finding it very hard to see the object on the footage, but could see it twinkling with his naked eye. While he tried zooming in Nicky mentioned that she could see two objects instead of one, however Simon was unable to see this. Later while filming Emma said she could see the object spinning, again something Simon could not see himself. After a while he stopped filming as it was obvious his camera was not picking it up.
After watching it for a further few minutes, the object flashed and vanished, but when it reappeared a moment later it was much further across to the left in the sky, almost like it had moved a couple of miles Northward in a brief moment! It then flashed one more time and vanished permanently.
Simon pointed out that about half an hour later an aeroplane flew over at a lower altitude than the object had been at, but travelling on the same course from South to North.
Video Footage
Unfortunately Simon has not been able to correctly send me either of the pieces of video footage he and his partner shot. Currently when he tries to upload his video off his phone, only the audio works. He is the process of working out how to send me a working version, however he does not believe the object has been captured on it. He is in the process of obtaining the other video for me, which he believes may show it at one point.
Below is a transcript of the audio of his video footage. It’s worth pointing out that the witnesses were having a few drinks at the time, which has led to an over-reaction to what was being observed in some regards. However it’s obvious that there was something present in the sky.
S: I'm just gonna carry on.
F: That's what we thought.
S: I don't know how to zoom in, how do you bloody zoom in on this? Did you see it then Nicky?
N: Yeah.
S: It just went really bright. There we are, it's there again now right above the chimney tops.
N: How big is...oh yes! I can see it now.
E: Oh I can, yeah.
N: Is it an aeroplane?
S: No it's not an aeroplane baby.
E: Where's it gone?
N: It's gone.
S: I can tell you now, it's not an aeroplane man.
N: It's back there again look look look!
E: Oh there it is!
S: Oh look now it's even brighter.
F: Where?
N: There' right on top of them chimneys.
S: Above the chimneys.
N: It's fading away again now.
S: There it is! See it?
F: No.
S: Do you see it right above the chimneys. Not a foot above the chimneys.
E: Right on top of them two chimneys there.
S: How you doing Tim? We're just filming a UFO above the house. It's miles away, if you get back here you might be able to see it, it’s right up there.
E: It's a little white star type thing Tim.
S: But it just flashes on and off.
T: No can't see nothing.
E: I couldn't at first but I did see it.
T: Right.
S: We've all seen it now apart from you Frank but your eyesight's shit. Here we are, there it is again!
T: Where?
S: It moved!
N: Where?
S: There it is again just to the left of the chimney tops. Just to the left of the chimneys.
N: I can see but I don't know how to zoom in. I'm recording.
F: Where?
S: Ssh go and sit down Frank.
F: No I can see a flying saucer.
T: Where, where can you see a flying saucer?
E: Where?
S: Where can you see a flying saucer? You're just drunk. Sit...sit down Frank.
E: Sit down.
S: There it is again! Look!
E: Oh god yeah!
S: See?
E: Oh shit yeah!
S: See
N: Is it an aeroplane Emma?
E: No. I can see it!
S: It's glowing, it's glowing bright and then going dark isn’t it? Here you are, it's going bright again look. It's going bright again now. Just blinked!
F: I see something!
S: Yeah. You see it Frank?
N: You see it Frank?
S: That's a god damn UFO that is!
E: Sure it ain't a satellite?
S: No, positive.
F: It's a BO7.
S: Satellites move across the sky, that's just hovering.
E: That's staying still.
S: That's just hovering mate.
N: It's back! It's not an aeroplane as it wouldn't have just one light.
E: No it wouldn't. It would have two on the ends wouldn't it? One on the back.
S: God how do you zoom in on this?
N: Here hold this a minute, I'll show you Simon, show me.
S: I've done it!
N: You've done it? I know how to zoom in on mine.
S: I've done it.
E: How do you zoom in on mine Nik do you know? Do you know?
S: Right.
E: How do you zoom in, I think you touch the screen don't you?
N: Yeah bring the screen in I think.
S: No, bring it out.
E: Out?
S: Pinch your fingers, bring 'em out.
F: Don't you use the screen?
S: Frank will you be quiet please?
F: Don't you think it's fairies you can see?
S: Frank!
F: What?
S: Will you sit down and be quiet please? I'm going to put this on the internet. You know what I mean?
F: You took a photo of the fairies!
E and N: (Laughing)
N: Such a septic in' he babe?
S: Yeah you're right, he is septic.
M: He's septic in' he babe?
S: Yeah absolutely septic.
N: Septic. Septic.
S: Well.
N: Whatever, there's something there. We've all seen it now, can't say we're lying!
E: I've seen something spinning.
S: Spinning?
N: I dropped my beer down me!
E: I saw it go down that I did, with the light on.
S: Yeah?
E: Yeah when I seen it.
N: She's got better eyesight than us babe.
S: You've got better eyesight than me.
N: She's got really good distance eyesight.
S: When was that, when I was recording it?
N: Yeah.
S: Right.
Sighting Analysis
It’s clear that there was something present in the sky which was probably metallic or white in colour causing it to reflect the sunlight. It seemed to be moving too slowly to be a distant aircraft. It would be easy to dismiss this sighting as a reflective inflatable of some kind, but this would not explain the most unusual aspect of the incident – how the object seemingly jumped position in the sky in a matter of moments. If the object really had performed this manoeuvre this would surely mean it was something out of the ordinary?
But there is another possibility. Maybe there were two objects in the sky, one of which was angled in a way that wasn’t reflecting light until towards the end of the sighting. And by pure coincidence the initial object stopped reflecting just before the second object did. While this seems improbable it can still not be put out of the question.
I have checked online to see if I could find any possible explanation for what was seen but have so far not found anything. As with many distant UFO sightings it is hard to comment further on what was observed, and it therefore currently remains unexplained. I hope to receive working video footage soon to analyse, if this is obtained this analysis will be added to the report.
Copyright © Dave Hodrien 2020