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Birmingham UFO Group Case Report Author: Dave Hodrien Release Date: 23/01/2009 Last Updated 10/09/2024 Note: For reasons of anonymity pseudonyms have been used for some witnesses Sighting Details   It was late on a clear and still evening in the summer of 1993. Dean Page got picked up from his house by his friend "Joe" for a night out at Liberties nightclub. It was a very warm evening so the front windows of the car were down. As Joe drove towards the lights on Bristol Road, Selly Oak, Dean started to watch a red light in the sky above the university hospital. It was moving towards the area of Northfield/Harborne. They stopped at the lights and Dean had a good view of the light as it disappeared behind the houses next to the Lazy Fox Public House.   Dean and Joe continued their journey. Dean crouched in his seat and continued to watch the sky to see if he could spot the object again. As they passed the hospital on their right, he spotted the red light/lights passing almost directly over them and the hospital. The object had changed course and double-backed on itself. They had the car stereo on at very low volume, and as it passed over Dean noticed that the object was completely silent. He muttered something about the object and Joe asked him what was wrong. They had soon moved away from the area and he did not see the lights again. When they arrived at the club, Dean asked Joe if he had seen anything. He said no, but later confided that possibly he did see something.   Looking back on the sighting, Dean feels that the object was low, about 100-200 feet in the sky. He also feels that the light was part of a much larger object, and was blocking out the stars over a sizeable area. Since the sighting, Dean has looked into the UFO subject and wonders if the object he saw that night was a Flying Triangle.   Conclusion   Due to the nature of this sighting, it is hard to speculate what the object could have been. If the object was, as the witness remembers, blocking out a large area of stars then this would immediately make it harder to explain. However he did not see a clearly defined shape at the time so we have no way of comparing it to other objects. Red is one of the colours of normal aircraft navigation lights, but if it was a conventional aircraft surely other lights would also have been seen such as white static/white strobing/green, especially given the object was seen moving in different directions. Also if it was a simply a plane, why would it have changed course and be heading back the way it had came? Most of the time planes take a steady course across the sky. It could not have been a drone as this incident occurred decades before these were commercially available. However, without further information I can give no other opinions on this sighting, and it remains exactly what the witness describes it as….an unidentified flying object.   Copyright Dave Hodrien 2024

Birmingham UFO Group Case Report Author: Dave Hodrien Release Month: June 2011 Last Updated: 10/09/2024   In June 2011 Matthew got in touch with me via Richplanet.net to share details of a stunning UFO sighting he had experienced six years before. This sighting was clearly of two very unusual, clearly structured objects. This sighting is covered in depth in the following report.   Sighting Details   On the evening of 20th June 1995, Matthew had been out in Bridgnorth. He arrived home at 11.20pm. It was a very clear and still night with the stars visible in the sky above. There was nobody else around. As he stepped out of the car on the driveway of his house he immediately noticed two very bizarre looking objects in the sky, which appeared to be over the water reservoir behind the house.   The objects were alongside one another, and were cone shaped with rounded ends. They appeared to be about 10 metres in diameter at their base. The main body of each object was a dark grey metallic colour. However the length of the cone appeared to be covered in a glowing neon blue energy, which pulsed and moved like liquid. At the base of the cone was an extended ring which had on it a circle of red rotating flashing lights. These lights were flashing in sequence rather than randomly. At the rear of each cone was an amber-green coloured glow.   Each object had unusual antennas sticking out of the sides of the cone which were covered in small white lights. One of these antennas was noticeably longer than all the others. Another bizarre observation is that the objects appeared to be travelling along a soft beam of light, which was visible just in front of and behind them.   Matthew was understandably astounded by the sight of the objects, which looked quite beautiful. However he remained calm and composed as he wanted to take in as much detail as possible. He felt immediately that the objects were extraterrestrial craft. He used to be a keen aircraft enthusiast, and knew that these objects were completely unconventional. Initially they were about 100 yards away from him. They were approaching his position and moving in a South Westerly direction. The objects were travelling quite slowly, Matthew estimates about 30 mph. Each of them had the end of the cone dipped downward as if they were scanning the ground for something.   As the objects approached, Matthew had a good look at the objects. He was particularly intrigued by the strange antennas sticking out from them and thought to himself “What the heck are they for?”  He also noticed a strange feeling in the air like static electricity.   When the objects were nearly directly overhead, one of them neatly turned 90 degrees on its axis and began travelling South East, while the other continued South West. It felt almost like they were running along a massive invisible grid due to the sudden sharp movements. He continued to watch the objects for a couple of minutes until they were out of sight. Once they had gone, the reality of what he had just encountered began to sink in. He was shocked, excited and frightened.   Soon after the sighting he reported it to the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) by submitting a sighting report.   In the months following the incident, some unusual things took place. Matthew kept seeing a complex circular geometric shape appear in his mind without warning. He has extensively searched for this symbol appearing elsewhere, and has only ever seen it twice. The first time it was on an album cover of an alternative rock band from the US. However it was not exactly the same, but a more simplified version of it. He did not get in touch with the band or find out whether there was any kind of meaning behind it.   According to Matthew, the other time he saw the symbol apparently linked in with another bizarre incident which took place years later. Unfortunately he never got round to providing me with the details of this other incident, so we can only speculate as to what this may have been.   As well as seeing the symbol, Matthew also experienced sudden bursts of creativity. He did not know where this came from, and he assumed it was in some way linked with the UFOs he had seen.   Sighting Analysis   This is a fascinating encounter with some truly bizarre elements to it. The appearance of the two objects was very unusual, with a variety of coloured lights, including colours not seen in normal aircraft/helicopter navigation lights. The witness managed to observe them for an extended period of time at quite close proximity. Also they performed unusual manoeuvres with sudden right angle turns. Due to this sudden change in course they could not have been aeroplanes, and their appearance and lights do not match those of a helicopter either.   This incident occurred many years before drones were commercially available so this could not have been the explanation. The maneuverers observed were too controlled for the objects to have been two novelty inflatables covered in lights. They were completely the wrong appearance for hot air balloons, and these are usually only lit by the flame at the base. Also after dark hot air balloon pilots are legally required to hang a white flashing warning light 50 feet under the basket to warn other aircraft in the vicinity.   The sensation of static in the air is another interesting aspect of this case. A normal aircraft, model or inflatable would not have had this effect on the local environment, which again points towards a more unusual explanation. It is unknown whether the UFOs really were on some kind of invisible "track". This seems unlikely as I have not come across any similar descriptions in other cases, but cannot be entirely ruled out. After all the witness did state that he could see part of this "track" as a beam of light in close proximity to both of the objects, although it could potentially have been a reflection of the lights on them rather than something physical. No mundane explanations really fit with what was observed, the objects are truly anomalous, and may well have been genuine advanced craft, possibly ET in origin. If they were indeed this, then perhaps the symbol Matthew saw in his mind was a telepathic information download of some kind. Also an increase in creativity is a known after effect that sometimes occurs following contact. Perhaps more took place than Matthew currently recollects.   I am pleased that he decided to get in touch with myself via Richard Hall’s website in addition to filling out the NUFORC sighting form as it is a very intriguing incident. If you have any further information regarding what took place please do get in touch.   Copyright Dave Hodrien 2024

Birmingham UFO Group Report Originally forwarded by Richard Hall Author: Dave Hodrien Release Year: 2011 Last Updated: 09/09/2024   In the summer of 1998 Eileen Watson was out driving on the A1 when she had an experience which has haunted her ever since. This report goes over what took place and speculates as to the origin of what was seen.   Incident Details   Eileen cannot remember the exact date in the summer of 1998 when her experience took place, but is aware that it was about 1am. It was a very clear and warm night. She was on a return journey home from a day trip in London. Her two children were in the back of the car. Just north of Scotch Corner She was quite tired and decided to pull into a lay by for a brief rest from driving.   As soon as she stopped the car she immediately realised she was a woman out on her own at night, and felt quite vulnerable. She decided that she was awake enough to continue the rest of the journey home. She put the car into gear and got ready to pull out onto the road. At the point of the road she was at there was a slight curve to the left, so she had to be careful in case of other vehicles.   Eileen saw what looked like two headlights in the rear view mirror so briefly halted to let the other vehicle pass. She watched these lights for between 5-8 seconds. Her attention was then distracted by one of her children who had stirred on the back seat, so she looked away from the mirror for a brief moment. She continued to wait for the other vehicle to pass but nothing drove on past. Looking back into the rear view mirror she saw nothing but darkness. She could not understand what had happened. She was certain there was no side road the vehicle could have turned off onto, it was just gone. She was quite frightened so quickly resumed her journey. Eileen remained scared and confused until she was safely back in her house.   Later she laughed with friends, saying it was like Close Encounters Of The Third Kind. But she has never managed to explain what she saw that night.   Incident Analysis   Considering the situation the witness found herself in, it is understandable why this incident was so unsettling to her. She was out in the middle of the night with only her sleeping children, and then witnessed something unusual and not easily explainable in relatively close proximity. However the fact that the lights appeared to be the headlights of an approaching vehicle of course mean that we cannot put this explanation out of the question. Perhaps the witness was wrong when she felt that there were no side turnings off the road. As it was after dark perhaps there was one that she was not aware of. Perhaps there were no side turnings but the vehicle behind her broke down and had to pull onto the edge of the road, and was so far behind that she could not see it in the dark, however Eileen is certain that there were no lay bys prior to the one she was in. There was no traffic coming the other way at the time, so it could not have been an reflection somehow caused by this.   All of these explanations could possibly explain what took place. Or did something more unusual occur here? Could it have been a low flying UFO with two lights on that then vanished or suddenly left the area? Maybe it was not a singular object but two glowing orbs of light which gave the appearance of headlights. However it seems unlikely that the UFO or UFOs would have been flying along the road at such low altitude, it is more likely that it was something ground based.   Perhaps it was not UFO related but was supernatural in nature - a vision of a ghostly car that was briefly glimpsed. We are unlikely to ever know for sure, but as you can see there are lots of possible explanations for what was witnessed.   Copyright Dave Hodrien 2024

Birmingham UFO Group Report Author: Dave Hodrien Originally forwarded by Richard Hall Release Date: 31/08/2011 Last Updated 08/09/2024   Note: For reasons of anonymity pseudonyms have been used   On the night of 5th November 1990, a massive UFO flap took place over France. According to various internet sites, over 400 UFO sightings were reported up and down the country.   In August 2011 “Emma” got in touch with me via Richplanet.Net to provide details of her sighting of a massive triangular shaped UFO. Though she understands that other people reported seeing UFOs in the same city, I am not sure she is aware of the full scale of the incident.   There are reports online which suggest that the triangular UFO was seen by many other individuals, and that this was one of a number of huge craft covered in glowing lights which were seen that night.   In this report I cover only Emma’s sighting, as many other researchers have already looked into the overall UFO wave. However towards the end are a number of website links, newspaper articles and a documentary video.   Sighting Details   In 1990 Emma lived in Reims, France. She shared a council flat with “Caleb”, her boyfriend at the time. The flat was on Avenue Du General Bonaparte in the Croix Rouge district, close to the Business School where Emma was studying at.   On the evening of 5th November Emma and Caleb had just got off a bus in front of their flat. It was dark, but the weather was clear and calm. The stars were not really very visible due to the street lights.   As they approached the building, Emma happened to look up into the sky and noticed a large object directly overhead. Due to its proximity she initially felt that it was an aircraft about to crash into the buildings, but it only took a moment to realise this was not the case.   The object was triangular in shape and appeared to be either black or very dark in colour. It was huge, at least the size of several blocks of flats, and was clearly solid and darker than the night sky. Along the edges were white and blue lights at various points. Each corner of the triangle appeared to be emitting bright sparks.   The object was completely silent, it was a quiet neighbourhood so Emma says she would have heard any noise coming from it. It was at quite low altitude, only a short distance above the buildings. It was moving quite slowly on a straight and level course, and heading East towards the centre of the city. Emma immediately pointed it out to Caleb.   Both witnesses were amazed at what they were seeing. They watched it for about a minute in silence until it had gone out of sight behind the buildings. The sighting was so out of the ordinary that they barely discussed what they had just seen, it was hard to comprehend. Emma feels that this is the reason why she has barely spoken of the incident since, except with her direct family.   However, it was not just her and Caleb who saw the object. Later on in the evening they were watching the news on TV, they saw a report which stated that numerous people had seen a UFO over the city.   However the report played down the incident, and put the sightings down to a meteorite, which was of course nothing like what they had seen. Emma says it is possible that it appeared in the local newspapers as well, however as she was studying for exams at the time she did not read them herself.   Recently Emma decided to do a painting of what she saw all those years ago to illustrate the incident to her partner. This painting shows how the object looked from underneath, and its size against the surroundings. Sighting Analysis   This is a very impressive sighting indeed. Most mundane explanations can easily be dismissed. The object was much too large to have been an electronically lit inflatable, kite, hand glider or model. It was clearly not a conventional aircraft of any kind, the shape, size and lighting configuration do not fit this explanation. Also it was moving much too slowly to have been an aircraft and was completely silent despite being at low altitude. It is unlikely to have been a secret military craft – why would they fly something so large right over the city in plain sight?   You may feel that the date the sighting occurred on is suspicious, as this was bonfire night in the UK. However this is not celebrated in France, so fireworks are unlikely to have been an explanation for what was seen.     According to online sources, the meteorite explanation mentioned by the report Emma heard on TV was put forward by a German observatory. However this does not work for what Emma and Caleb witnessed – meteorites cross the sky extremely rapidly and are only visible for a brief moment, so even if many entered the atmosphere at around the same time forming a triangular pattern they would not have remained visible for long at all. Also Emma says the object was darker than the surrounding night sky, so must have been a solid singular object.   Later on SEPRA (Now named Unidentified Aerospace Phenomenon Research and Information Group or GEIPAN), a unit of the National Centre For Space Studies (CNES), put forward another explanation, stating that the sightings were the result separation of a third stage of a Russian rocket which had been launched on the evening. While this would remain visible for a number of minutes, it again would not look like a solid triangular object.   I feel it is more likely to have been a genuine Flying Triangle craft. This is one of the more commonly reported types of UFO. Flying Triangles are often described as being very large in size, and are regularly seen to glide very slowly across the sky. The white and blue lights seen along the edges are less common; however I have investigated other cases where this exact lighting configuration has been described.   The “sparks” seen at each of the corners are very interesting. Emma felt at the time that perhaps the object was in trouble. However perhaps these were not sparks at all but just bright twinkling lights which gave the appearance of sparks. Flying Triangle craft are often described as having a bright white light at each corner.   The fact that other people reported seeing a very similar object, as well as other huge UFOs on the same night, means that this sighting is both very impressive and very hard to dismiss.   External Information   Various French newspaper articles related to the UFO flap:   Federation Europeenne A.I.R.P.L.A.N.E.   Direct Link: http://feairplane.canalblog.com/archives/2010/09/23/19137662.html   English Translation: Wave of UFO demonstrations on November 5, 1990 over France   It all started on the evening of November 5, 1990. From 6:30 pm, unknown flying objects were seen in many places above the national territory. In the darkening sky at the start of the evening, unknown, luminous, numerous objects of varying dimensions appear. Some fly peacefully, projecting beams of light towards the ground or horizontally. Others simply cross our airspace conspicuously but in a measured manner. There are thousands of witnesses across the four corners of France. Photos, video recordings, detections of all kinds soon confirm the observations.   In various regions, the lights move in formation, in parallel ways under the cloud layer. In other places, immense structures whose scales are compared by witnesses to the size of a city are observed. In almost all cases, the machines move in total silence, very slowly and at very low altitude.   The numerous witnesses came from all levels of society. Among these are a large number of professionals from the aerospace industry, astronomers, gendarmes, scientists, police officers, doctors, pilots, air traffic controllers, soldiers, a president of the high court, judicial controllers, civil servants at the Ministry of the Interior, Mayors and deputies, general councilors...etc... the list is long.   In the hours that followed, the media reported these observations and sought an explanation from scientists who took their time to respond.   Within 24 hours, a German observatory declared that the flyby was nothing other than a meteorite. French astronomers appear publicly reluctant to confirm this interpretation, which does not take into account the thousands of testimonies prohibiting the "meteorite hypothesis". Finally, SEPRA, a CNES service, will present an equally contradictory explanation from the perspective of the testimonies, but which will have the merit of reassuring: a third stage of a Russian rocket would have fallen above the hexagon from North-East to South-East. (Remember that the fallout of such a compartment is reduced to only a few minutes)   This is what the re-entry of a third stage of the Molniva M rocket in 2001 corresponds to. We will notice a descending trajectory (and not horizontal or ascending), a high speed (and not slow, estimated by some at 2km/h) as well as the impossibility of distinguishing a shape (while on the contrary the witnesses report hundreds of objects of varying sizes and shapes)   At present, our contacts within the French Defence indicate to us that certain observations carried out that evening with their means as well as some privileged testimonies (by the conditions of observations) still fall within the field of safety and a very high level of confidentiality (for reasons unknown to us and which we find very difficult to understand in light of the very sensitive UFO affairs which have been revealed by other Western nations)   If such observations made by thousands of French people (estimate of at least 10,000 people made considering the number of reported testimonies), one day arouse the curiosity of the population, a serious study on the origin of the unknown manifestations could be demanded from institutions.   Note that it would have been interesting to carry out a statistical study to determine the possible concordance between the hours at which these events took place and the hours at which availability outside the buildings (home, professional establishment, university and buildings schools) of the French population is the largest that day.   French UFO Wave November 5, 1990 PowerPoint presentation containing many witness drawings and details https://satobs.org/seesat_ref/Oberg/901105-French_wave.pdf   If you have any further information about this impressive series of events please get in touch. Copyright Dave Hodrien 2024

Birmingham UFO Group Case Report Author: Dave Hodrien Release Year: 2010 Last Updated: 03/09/2024   The city of Phoenix, Arizona is no stranger to UFO activity. It is of course the centre point for the infamous “Phoenix Lights” incident of 1997, in which a large delta shaped craft flew across several states and hovered over the city for a short while. However this report is not about this incident, instead it focuses on another impressive close encounter with a flying triangle that occurred in 2003. One of the two witnesses contacted BUFOG with this information, and I am pleased to be able to share it with you now. Sighting Details   The witnesses, Annette and Jack, were spending the night in a luxury hotel suite. This was situated 120 feet up on the 11th floor. It was around 1am and the pair were out on the balcony talking. It was a clear and still night, and the stars were shining in the sky. Annette looked up at the stars and was astounded to see a huge black triangular shaped object. It had amber coloured lights on its underside. Jack estimates that it was 300 foot long by 200 foot wide, and was around 200 feet above them. The UFO was completely silent and they assumed it must have travelled to where it now was situated without making a sound. As they stared at the object, Jack felt as if he was paralyzed and was not aware of how long they were watching it for. He snapped out of this state when Annette asked him what it was, as he had a military background. However Jack had never seen anything like it before. After watching it a while, it very slowly moved off in a northern direction. It remained silent throughout the incident. As it moved away Jack remembers feeling a breeze from it, and seeing blue light coming out of several large holes in the back of the craft.   The pair headed back inside, and according to Annette several minutes later a helicopter flew close to the hotel shining its lights in various windows including their own. Later that night Jack was awoken by lights coming through the curtains of the room. He stepped out onto the balcony but could see nothing that would have caused these lights.   Since the sighting, Annette now often looks to the sky in case she sees the craft again, and also carries a camera with her. Sighting Analysis From the E-Mails received from the witnesses they both seem very believable. Despite Jack's military background he was not able to identify the object, meaning that it is unlikely it was a stealth bomber or other known military aircraft. The fact it was hovering still and without making any noise is another factor that would point away from this theory. Unfortunately I have been unable to obtain any documented/photographic proof of Jack's background in the military, nor did he elaborate on his in our correspondence, but I have no reason to doubt this aspect of the case. The object was clearly much too large to be a novelty inflatable, and it occurred many years before drones were commercially available. The shape and lighting point away from it being an advertising blimp of some kind. The helicopter that appeared shortly after their sighting may suggest that someone else knew the UFO was in the vicinity. There have of course been many other reported sightings of large black Flying Triangles all around the world. It is certainly possible that this was a genuine sighting of one of these craft, possibly of extraterrestrial origin. Why it was flying above Phoenix on that night in 2003 will, for now at least, remain unknown. Copyright Dave Hodrien 2024

Birmingham UFO Group Report Author: Dave Hodrien Originally forwarded by Richard Hall Release Date: 16/08/2011 Last Updated: 03/09/2024   In August 2011 I was contacted by a man named Tom via Richplanet.net who wanted to pass on details of a UFO sighting that his stepfather and stepfather’s friend had experienced in the mid 1990’s. This report covers what he has shared with me about the incident.   Sighting Details   The exact date of the incident is unknown, but it was overcast with a strong wind blowing and low fast moving clouds. It was mid-afternoon. Tom’s stepfather Brian and his friend Patrick were out on their regular weekly ramble and were checking out an old abandoned mine shaft. They heard a low whistling sound coming from above them. When they looked up they were amazed to see an object hovering directly overhead no higher than 500 feet. It was black and triangular in shape. It appeared to be about 30 feet across. There were no markings or lighting visible on the object.   The object was clearly under direct control as it was hovering completely still despite the fact there was a strong breeze. It did not appear to be affected by the weather conditions at all. The two men watched it for a short while. It then began to slowly and smoothly turn on the spot. As it did they noticed two small vertical protrusions on the upper rear of the object. It then began to travel away from their location at a slow speed to the North West. As it went it ascended until it disappeared into the clouds.   Sighting Analysis   This is a very interesting incident due to the fact that the object was clearly unaffected by the strong wind around it. This means that it was either flying against the air currents in order to maintain a completely stationary position, or was inside a field of some kind that meant it was not affected by the wind. The fact it was black, of reasonable size and triangular in shape suggests that it may well have been a Flying Triangle craft, one of the more commonly reported types of UFO. However the two short vertical tails at the top rear of the object seem to be unusual and I cannot think of any cases where these have been reported before.   The object appears to have approached on purpose to observe the men on the ground. If this were the case then this again designates that it was under intelligent control. There is the possibility that it was a secret military craft of some kind but I find this unlikely. Why would the military have been interested in approaching the men if this would result in them being seen? Also in order to maintain a stationary position in the sky in the strong wind it would be expected that some form of propulsion system such as engines or propellers would have been visible. It seems too large to have been a remote controlled model. Other explanations such as a large inflatable, kite or hand glider can be put out of the question due to the manoeuvres it performed.   The low whistling sound that the men heard could have come from the object itself, or perhaps it was the sound of the wind whistling around it. Usually Flying Triangles either emit a faint humming sound or are completely silent.   Copyright Dave Hodrien 2011

Birmingham UFO Group Report Author: Dave Hodrien Originally forwarded by Richard Hall Release Date: 26/07/2011 Last Updated: 03/09/2024   Sighting Details   It was 7.30-7.45pm on a clear sunny evening in August 1980. The sky was mostly clear other than some light high level cloud. Mike Millward was out walking his dog on Walmer Road recreation ground in Pakefield, Lowestoft, Suffolk.   Mike was on a path that ran alongside the old track way. Suddenly the dog started to act unusual, like it was worried about something. It was staying close to a nearby hedge and looking around. It was now that Mike noticed an object off to his left above the tree line of the track way.   He saw what looked like a deep red coloured glowing orb. It was at an altitude of about 200 feet to the West of him, and about 2500 feet from his position. At first he thought it must be the sun, but then realised it was too small, and the setting sun was visible off to one side. He was puzzled by the object and so stood there watching it.   The object hovered above the trees for quite a while without moving. Then suddenly it descended rapidly behind the trees and moved off to the left. Mike could still see the red glow through the trees as it went. It then once again stopped for several seconds. After this it ascended back up above the tree line.  It hovered for a short while then shot away to the North at an extremely fast speed. It was gone from sight within a second! In total Mike had watched the object for between 2-3 minutes.   Mike tried to continue his walk but the dog refused to walk down the access road to the old golf course, and even tried to slip its collar to avoid being dragged down there. In the end Mike retraced his steps back home. However even back home the dog appeared distressed and wouldn’t settle down.   The following evening Mike again took his dog out on the same route and the dog was totally fine, even when walking round the golf course where the UFO had been seen.   Sighting Analysis   This is a very impressive sighting due to the astounding manoeuvres the object was seen to perform. It was clearly under control, making sudden direct movements between periods of time where it remained completely motionless, before finally flying away at an incredibly fast speed. If it had not made these manoeuvres I may have put the object down to a Chinese lantern, that said this did take place back in 1980, way before lanterns became widely available. The movements it performed also put other mundane explanations such as a drifting lit inflatable out of the question.   Also these manoeuvres seemed too direct for it to have been atmospheric phenomena such as an earth light. It was the wrong colour to have been a helicopter, and was also completely silent. It is unlikely to have been a radio controlled model, it was daylight so the whole object could be seen, it was a self-luminescent orb or sphere, with no visible signs of propulsion.   The fact the dog became agitated by the object is again a good sign that it was something unusual – animals have often been reported acting strange when in close proximity to ET craft. The fact the dog was fine the following evening suggests that the cause of its distress had been the object and not something else.   As you can see there are numerous aspects of this incident which point towards it being a genuine UFO. Due to the apparent small size of the object it was probably un-manned and was there for monitoring or observational purposes.   Copyright Dave Hodrien 2024

Birmingham UFO Group Report Author: Dave Hodrien Originally forwarded by Richard Hall Release Date: 07/08/2011 Last Updated: 03/09/2024   This report covers an unusual case. Rather than see a UFO up in the sky, the witness had a close encounter with a small orb of glowing light. It is unknown whether or not this was ET related, but it is certainly worth reporting either way.   Sighting Details   In 1975 or 1976 Iain Forbes was 19 years old and working at a tanning yard called Russell’s Tanyard in Hitchin (It has since closed down). The tan yard used to be located on High Street. Early in the afternoon he was inside and working on a setting out machine. It was bad weather outside and drizzly.   Suddenly a yellow-green coloured orb of light emerged from the wall several yards off to his left. It appeared to be made out of glowing energy and was semi-transparent. The object was about the size of a football. It was hovering about 4 feet off the floor. The orb began to drift across the room heading behind him. It was moving about walking pace. Iain turned around to follow its movement. While he was watching it he was not frightened, instead he felt completely at ease about the presence of the object like it was nothing out of the ordinary. He also felt a sense of familiarity like he recognised it from somewhere. There were other people in the room at the time but they were not looking the right direction to see it and Iain did not get their attention. The orb continued for about 10 yards across the room. Then it changed direction and started heading back towards the wall it had emerged from. When it reached the wall it seemed to merge into it and was gone. Iain did not tell anyone about what he had seen as they were busy.   Sighting Analysis   This is certainly a fascinating incident. The object seen could not have been caused by sunlight reflection coming in from outside through a window as it was a cloudy day. As it emerged from a wall and re-entered it this suggests it was not solid but some kind of glowing energy. Could it have been unusual atmospheric phenomena such as ball lightning? This is a possibility but the weather was not stormy, it was just cloudy with light rain.   If it was something out of the ordinary, what could it have been? Perhaps it was something supernatural but spirit energy of some kind and not ET related. However there are a number of signs that it could have been ET in origin. The way in which Iain felt completely calm about the presence of the orb has been commonly reported by contactees and UFO witnesses on many occasions. This seems to be something which is done on purpose, probably so that they will encounter little resistance to whatever they wish to do.   Iain also felt a degree of familiarity when he saw the orb, it was like he knew what it was and it didn’t bother him. This is interesting as this is often reported in UFO sightings, especially where actual contact is involved. It appears that the ETs have a way of relaxing the individual so theyt are at ease with what is taking place. Is this evidence that the orb was ET related in some way? Whatever the orb was, it certainly seems to have been something highly unusual.   Copyright Dave Hodrien 2024

Birmingham UFO Group Report Author: Dave Hodrien Originally forwarded by Richard Hall Release Date: 17/08/2011 Last Updated: 02/09/2024   Note: Actual witness names not provided   Sighting Details   At about 1pm on 12th June 2001, “Thomas” and his wife “Natasha” were in their home at Codsall, Wolverhampton. It was a bright sunny day outside with very little cloud. Natasha was looking out through the double glazed patio doors when she noticed a strange object in the sky to the East.   The object was about 10-15 feet in diameter. It was black in colour with no visible markings or lights. It was a flattened triangular shape. It appeared to be only a couple of feet thick. There was a faint yellow glow coming from one side. The object was slowly descending in altitude. It was about 180-200 feet from her location.   Natasha called her husband to come and take a look at the object. By the time he had also approached the patio doors, the object had disappeared from sight behind a large oak tree. They continued to watch and after a moment it started to rise again and became visible again above the tree.   The object was slowly ascending with a pronounced rocking motion, tipping back and forth. It did not ascend vertically but instead rose in a spiralling motion covering an area no bigger than 50 feet. The witnesses were amazed by what they were seeing. They watched the object for 10 minutes until it was out of sight. Thomas grabbed his 10x50mm binoculars and continued to watch the object through them.   When it reached a high altitude, it suddenly stopped ascending and moved away towards the North East on a straight and level course. He watched it for several more minutes until it disappeared from sight.   Sighting Analysis   Thomas believes that what he and his wife witnessed was an experimental military aircraft of some kind that had malfunctioned. However I am not so sure that it was either this or a genuine ET craft. It was clearly not a conventional aircraft of any kind. It was much too thin to have been a piloted aircraft, whatever its origin. So if it was military then it would have been an unmanned drone. However these almost always have visible propulsion methods such as engines or propellers. Also it seems unlikely that the military would fly such an unusual object in populated residential areas in the first place, if it was secret it would only be flown in remote or privately owned locations.   We must also take into account the fact that the object descended to such a low altitude in the first place. If this was a craft of some kind which was malfunctioning, surely it would have continued to descend and crashed into the ground or landed? Why would it descend so low and then suddenly find a way to keep aloft?   There are some aspects which lead me to wonder if the object was some kind of unusual kite or remote controlled model. The fact that it was very thin, not overly large, rocked as it ascended, and ascended in a spiral tends to point towards this possibility. Perhaps the reason the object ascended in a spiral was that it was riding on thermal air currents, in much the same way that a hand glider gains altitude. The fact that once the object was at high altitude it moved off on a straight course could suggest it was under control, but alternatively it could have just been caught in another current moving in a North Easterly direction. If it was light weight it would be easy for it to drift in these currents and create the impression it was under control. Perhaps the fact the object was rocking back and forth was because it was being buffeted in the air.   Black triangles are one of the more commonly reported types of UFO. However they are usually much bigger in size and perform direct and sometimes extremely fast manoeuvres. If it was a genuine craft, then I feel it is unlikely to have ascended in a spiral pattern, craft of this type have often been reported as having the ability to ascend straight upwards. True, it could have been damaged in some way, but I feel that on this occasion, a mundane explanation is probably more likely.   Copyright Dave Hodrien 2024

Author: Dave Hodrien Release Date: 03/12/2008 Last Updated: 03/09/2024 Note: For reasons of anonymity pseudonyms have been used In most contact encounters there appears to be no interaction with the witnesses, they are merely observers of something extraordinary. However occasionally there can be actual contact with beings and communication on numerous different levels. Sometimes these experiences can have a profound and long term effect on the people involved. This seems to be the case with "Emily", who earlier in her life had a fascinating encounter with what she believes was an extraterrestrial intelligence. Her experiences were quite unusual and have had an impact on her life ever since.   The Experiences   Emily believes her experiences began towards the end of 1974 when she was 29 years old. At this time in her life something strange began to happen. She felt she was being surrounded by a strong force of some kind, and that this force was causing her to think more about the spiritual side of her life. At the beginning of February 1975 she began to experience symptoms usually associated with pregnancy, but Emily knew that she wasn’t pregnant. This lasted for several days and then stopped. Were these events in some way linked to what was to come? Or did they just have a mundane explanation? Either way, things were about to take a much stranger turn. On the evening of February 23rd she suddenly began to feel feverish and went to bed. About 2-3am she awoke to what seemed to be someone turning the bedroom door handle. The kids were in the bedroom with her and her husband was away so she knew it wasn’t them. She was a little afraid so remained in bed. Next there was a single loud knock on the door. Shortly after this she saw directly in front of her a small silvery ball of light at the foot of her bed at eye level. She thought to herself “What is that and where on earth did it come from?” She checked the window to make sure it was not light coming through or reflected from it but the curtains were fully closed. The light began to change shape, becoming longer and longer until it resembled a vertical strak of light, emitting a bluish-white glow. It moved along in front of the bedroom wardrobes. It seemed to be keeping its distance from her, which she attributed to some form of intelligence, as if it were aware of her presence and did not want to alarm her. She then noticed another similar light at the bedroom door. As the initial light reached this other light it seemed to join up with it and then disappeared. She then fell into a deep sleep. A couple of hours later she woke up with a heavy pain in her stomach and lower back as if she was about to give birth. After a while this pain slowly subsided and she went back to sleep.   In the morning she thought about the lights she had seen and wondered what they were. She told her husband and friends, and they believed she had had some sort of vision. However she found this difficult to comprehend and thought there may be another explanation. Four weeks later in the early hours of March 24th she suddenly woke up and felt the need to look around her room. She saw two small balls of yellowish-red light to her right, closer to her than the previous time. One was positioned above the other one. She sat up in bed, curious as to what they were. Watching them she said out loud “I accept your presence. What do you want?” There was no reply but again she sensed that they were some form of intelligence. The upper ball of light disappeared. The other one slowly floated right up to her face shining in her eyes. It backed off a short distance then performed the same action again. After moving back a second time it then appeared to put on some sort of display, brightening and dulling like a twinkling star. During this it appeared a bluish-white colour similar to the first time she saw the lights. It then moved away towards the wardrobes and disappeared. Emily still believes it to be the most supernatural thing she has ever seen. After the light disappeared a peaceful feeling came over her, which lasted most of the next day.   Two weeks later she began to experience a feeling of warmth emanating around her waist. This feeling came and went at various times. She had a dream that seemed to explain this warmth. In the dream she felt like she was connected to a universal higher power related to light and energy.         She would not see the lights again until June. Again in the early hours of the morning she was awakened from her sleep. This time a light appeared on the wall of her bedroom. It appeared in the shape of a vertical bar of bluish-white light with a ring of light around the outside of it. She watched it disappear and reappear a while before dropping off to sleep. At this time she was not aware of the lights significance.   Early morning on October 18th she awoke to see a light in her bedroom once again displaying the shape of a bar with a ring around it. She felt it was trying to show her something of profound spiritual significance, and that she had to find out what it meant.             After her encounters with the lights, the feeling of heat radiating from inside her continued. Over time it moved up the centre of her back. Two years later she finally plucked up enough courage to visit her GP and discuss these feelings. He could provide no answer to either the lights or the heat, other than to say she seemed to be mentally stable. Over time the feeling of heat moved up to the top of her head, and then down onto her face and throat. After searching for answers in various books, Emily came to the conclusion that these feelings of pain/heat were the awakening of latent energy within her body, the opening of some of her seven major Chakras Centres.   Emily also believes that some form of telepathic communication began after her experiences, where she would receive words or information directly into her mind. In early 1985 she received three words that were constantly impressed upon her against her wishes – atom, alchemy and transmutation. She tried to ignore this but found she could not, and in the end decided to start reading up about the meaning of these words in science books. Later she received another telepathic message telling her to relate the science of the atom to herself and that she would come to understand. She also received telepathically two geometric symbols – a circle within a triangle, and a triangle within a circle.   After all the years that have gone by Emily now feels she understands her place in the universal cosmos. She believes that the opening of her Chakras was the direct result of her experiences with the lights, and that this in turn heightened her sensitivity and telepathic abilities.   Drawings & Shape Explanations   The below explanations are what Emily has come to believe are the reasons for the shapes the lights took on the numerous occasions that she saw them, and the symbols she received telepathically:   February incident – Ball of light becomes vertical streak Symbolised the beginning and the end. In it’s vertical position it is then possible to create any other shape/form from it, in the same way that energy can change it’s form. March incident – Two balls of light, one positioned above the other The balls of light themselves symbolised orbital completeness. Their formation symbolised “as above, so below” – a message that the human race is not alone in the cosmos, and that we and the ETs are all part of the same universal energy. June & October incidents – Vertical bar of light with ring around it There are two explanations for the shapes seen – a physical explanation and a spiritual explanation. In the physical explanation the vertical bar represents a group of individuals (both contactees and extraterrestrial beings) working in harmony to pass on the complete truth to the rest of the human race. During this time they will receive universal protection, this is what the ring of light represents. In the spiritual explanation, the circle represents different universal dimensions, and the vertical bar represents a doorway through which the mind can travel to access these dimensions. Telepathic symbols – Circle within a triangle, and triangle within a circle Emily believes these represent universal equality, that on a universal level all things are related and equal. Conclusions   In searching for answers for all of this, it is quite hard to speculate as Emily’s experiences are so unusual. They involve a combination of factors, which may or may not be extraterrestrial in nature. In regards to the various lights that she saw, there could be numerous possibilities. Emily states that she felt unusual/feverish before sighting the lights for the first time. Were they some form of hallucination or dream brought about as a direct result of illness? Emily claims that the curtains were fully drawn in her room, but was she mistaken? Perhaps the lights were simply caused by a light source outside of her window. However this would not explain the later sightings which appeared to be hovering close to her face and performing manoeuvres in the room. Could the lights have been caused by electrical phenomena such as ball lightning? There are numerous documented cases reporting ball lightning appearing as small bluish-white or yellowish glowing orbs of light which slowly drift around. But this would not explain how the lights changed shape in front of her eyes. There is the possibility that the lights were phenomena of another kind altogether, such as spirit energy. Or were they, as Emily believes, an extraterrestrial intelligence that was trying to make contact with her?   As for the feelings of pain and heat that she experienced at various times, could these have been caused by an illness of some kind, or were they really linked to the light encounters? It seems too much of a coincidence that they started around the same time in her life. Also, according to her, she did visit both a GP and a psychiatrist who both declared that she was fit, both physically and mentally. Whether or not you believe these feelings were caused by the opening of her body chakras is going to be down to your views on this topic, so it will not be covered in any more depth here. It is hard to speculate about the telepathic communications Emily has stated she received. Were these imaginary or real? Could they have been brought on by her willingness to search for answers to her experiences or was a genuine non-human influence at work?   Emily certainly believes that her experiences were extraterrestrial in nature, and it has changed her life profoundly in many ways. She still searches for answers to what happened, and wonders what the future has in store for her. I am sure you agree it is a very interesting case. BUFOG will keep you informed of any further developments. Copyright Dave Hodrien 2024

Birmingham UFO Group Case Report Author: Dave Hodrien Release Date: 06/08/2024 In June 2024 I was contacted on Facebook by a man named Anthony Spears. He had viewed one of my previous case reports on a Flying Triangle sighted over Christchurch, and wanted to report that he had also had a triangular-shaped UFO sighting very close to this location, one which was seemingly being intercepted by the military. I got in touch with him to discuss this incident via Messenger video call. In doing so I also discovered he had witnessed two other incidents while living in Portland as a child. These incidents have been written up as separate case reports (links towards the end of this one) Sighting Details Unfortunately Anthony cannot remember the precise date of the event. He is aware that he was between the age of 19-21, meaning that it took place between 2001-2003. He also stated that it happened around 7pm and that it was fully dark, so it could not have been in the summer months as it would have still been light at this time. Back then he was living with his parents in Christchurch, however the incident occurred on the outer edges of Bournemouth, several miles to the West. He would often travel to Tesco Extra on Riverside Avenue in Bournemouth to stock up on food. On this particular evening he and his parents Peter and Sylvia were in their friend Andrew’s car. Andrew was driving, Anthony was in the passenger seat, and his parents were in the back. It was a clear, dry and still evening. They had turned into the car park and were driving along it towards the front of the store looking for a place to park. Anthony was staring straight forward at the time out of the front window. All of a sudden three large white lights in a equilateral triangle formation came into view, travelling the same direction they were, but at a much faster speed. The lights remained constantly aligned to one another, and Anthony was convinced that they were attached to a singular triangle-shaped black/dark coloured object, although the main body could not be seen due to the lack of light in the sky combined with light pollution from the shopping store itself. The object looked like it was at quite a low altitude. Anthony estimates it was “about the height of a 10 storey block of flats above the roof of Tesco.” If his estimation is correct, this means it would have been around 130 feet up. It was moving quite fast, at least 100 mph. Judging by the distance between the lights and height that it appeared to be it was about 50 feet across. There was seemingly no sound coming from it (at least audibly within the car) as it flew along on a straight and level course. Anthony did not have enough time to react or grab his smartphone, he just stared at it transfixed. Andrew was looking around for a space so did not see it, nor did his parents due to having a reduced view from the back seat of the car. Within five seconds it had vanished from sight beyond the roof of the store. Anthony has a vague recollection of asking “Did anyone see that?” But before anyone had a chance to answer him there was an extremely loud roaring sound coming from above them. Suddenly a jet flew over the roof of the car at low altitude, heading in the same direction as the object. The noise as it passed over was tremendous, and Anthony even contemplated the idea of it being a sonic boom. Everyone in the car of course heard it and watched as it flew away to the North East. Anthony does not recall many details about it except that it was a grey colour and had a red light on it. He immediately exclaimed “That was a UFO, that was what that was just chasing!” Andrew and his parents of course queried him about this and he explained to them what he had just witnessed. Anthony was amazed at what he seen. Andrew parked up the car and they entered the store. Inside Anthony overheard some of the staff at the customer services desk talking about the sound of the jet, so they had clearly heard it from inside the store. He did not approach them to tell them about the UFO. Sylvia's Testimony Although Sylvia did not actually get to see the UFO or jet herself, as she was in the back seat of the car, she was still present at the time. She provided the following testimonial statement to back up the details provide by Anthony. "I missed it. I couldn't see. I was dozing as we had been on long journey. Anthony was stunned and said 'Did anyone see that?' I asked 'See what?' and he responded 'It just went over the car park!' I heard the aeroplane noise. It sounded like a jet going really fast. When we lived in Portland we would see lots of military aircraft so I was familiar with the sound. I heard the jet go over but didn't see it." Sadly Peter has since passed away so I am unable to speak with him. However Sylvia's testimony clearly supports the details passed on to me via Anthony, and also re-affirms that there was a jet in the area at the time. Sighting Analysis There are numerous fascinating aspects to this dramatic sighting. The lights could not have been three other jets flying in formation as if so surely Anthony would have heard their engines just as he did with the latter jet. Also they would have logically looked somewhat similar, and their shapes would have been visible against the sky. Drones only became commercially available in 2013. While three drones with white lights flying in a triangular formation cannot be entirely ruled out, it seems unlikely. Anthony says the white lights were quite large in size, prominent and bright. Due to the fact they traced a path from above the car right over the roof of the store and away beyond it, several searchlights bouncing off clouds can be ruled out. Also Anthony says that it was a clear night, and the only reason the stars were not visible was due to the light pollution coming from the store. The lights were clearly moving at quite a fast speed, so white coloured LED balloons or other lit inflatables travelling on an air current can be ruled out. This speed, and the size of the lights means satellites can also be discounted. I agree with Anthony that it seems more likely that the lights were attached to a singular larger object, one which could not be seen due to the darkness of the sky. If so then there is certainly the possibility that this was a genuine sighting of a Flying Triangle craft, one of the more commonly reported types. I have investigated many sightings of similar objects before with exactly the same lighting. If it was a genuine Flying Triangle then the jet flying after it would make sense. Could Anthony have witnessed an actual attempted military intercept taking place? If so, from where was this jet launched? There are a number of RAF bases in this area of England, including MOD Boscombe Down 50 miles to the North, RAF Odiham 70 miles to the North East, Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton 50 miles to the North West and RNAS Merryfield 60 miles to the North West West. Bournemouth is on the South coast and the object was heading inland on a North North East course when witnessed, but it could have easily changed direction prior to this time. Unfortunately due to the age of the incident, and the fact that we do not have a precise date for it I will be unable to raise a Freedom Of Information Request with the Ministry Of Defence to attempt to find out whether a jet was flown within the vicinity at this time, and if so for what purpose. The loud sudden noise which Anthony, his friend and parents heard was very likely just the sound of the jet engines at low altitude, and not a sonic boom. The jet was chasing the UFO at around the same speed, and both were seemingly moving far too slowly to break the sound barrier. This occurs at around 750 mph, and at low altitude the shockwave would have shattered the windows of the shop and vehicles. Also both objects would have only been visible for a couple of seconds at most. Due to the way in which Anthony has described the incident to me I have no reason to suspect he has made this incident up. He says that outside of his own family he has kept the incident to himself until quite recently due to fear of ridicule, so I am grateful that he has finally come forward with the details, even if it is not possible to make many further checks regarding the incident. If you have any further information relating to this experience please get in touch. As I mentioned near the start of the report Anthony has had two other childhood sightings while living in Portland. A formation of orange orbs which was also witnessed by his parents, and a silver coloured sphere which was seen by him and a friend. Click here to go to the orange orbs report, or here to go to the silver sphere report. Copyright Dave Hodrien 2024

Birmingham UFO Group Case Report Author: Dave Hodrien Release Date: 06/08/2024 In June 2024 I released a case report covering a Flying Triangle sighting from Christchurch. In response to one of the shared Facebook posts detailing this report a man named Anthony Spears got in touch to report his own sighting of a similar object. In speaking with him it became apparent he had also had two previous sightings much earlier in his life while living in Portland. This report covers the second of these earlier sightings. If you’re interested to read about the other sightings too, links to them can be found towards the end of the conclusion. Sighting Details As a child Anthony lived with his parents on Coronation Road in Fortuneswell on the Isle of Portland. Back in 1991 he was 10 years old. His parents would often let him play with his friends at an open grass covered park known as Victoria Gardens, which lies just to the South West. One sunny day in the summer he was down Victoria Gardens with his friend Andy. It was early afternoon, between 1-2pm and they were playing tennis towards the North Western end of the park. There was nobody else present at the time. Victoria Gardens lies on a slope and overlooks Chesil Beach and West Bay to the South West. The weather was dry and warm, with only light cloud in the sky. Anthony happened to look to the West over the bay and suddenly noticed what appeared to be a silver-coloured spherical object. It seemed to be around the height of the low cloud layer, possibly 4000 feet up. He could see sunlight glinting off the top of the object, and shadow underneath due to the curved surface. He pointed it out to Andy stating “What’s that? That’s not a balloon!” They both started watching the object. The sphere appeared to be hovering motionless in the air. Anthony was amazed at how smooth and reflective it appeared to be. After about a minute it began moving slowly across the bay on a straight path heading to the North. They continued to watch it for up to 10 minutes until it had vanished into the distance out over the sea. Once the sighting was over Anthony walked back home and told his parents about what he’d seen. As they had all had a previous sighting of multiple objects just two years previously they fully believed him. Later on he also discussed the sighting with his brother. Thinking back to the sighting Anthony wonders if the UFO had been monitoring goings on at the Ministry Of Defence Magnetic Range at Pulpit Rock on the Southern end of Portland, as this is in the direction it was moving away from. The site, also known as Portland Bill Land Magnetic Facilities, conducts tests based on magnetic measurements. It is positioned in this location because Portland stone is non-magnetic. This combined with the location's remoteness means that the site is free from magnetic disturbance. Sighting Analysis This is an interesting sighting of something which clearly caught the attention of the two witnesses. It could not have been an aeroplane as a plane would have been constantly moving, and the object remained stationary for a minute. It was a daylight sighting, so if it was a helicopter the shape would have been possible to make out, even at quite a distance. Due to the reflection of light and shadow on the object, I agree with Anthony’s viewpoint that it was spherical in shape as opposed to a flat disc. Could the object have been a silver coloured hot air balloon? While most hot air balloons are light bulb shaped, and this shape is obvious even from miles away, there is the possibility that it was a novelty hot air balloon that was spherical in shape. This could of course have hovered still in the sky for a short while before beginning to move. Another possibility that cannot be ruled out is that it was a novelty inflatable of some kind. It seemed to be at quite a high altitude, so could not have been small in size, but a larger inflatable is entirely possible. The object did not perform any manoeuvres which would definitely indicate it was under intelligent control. Perhaps initially it was not drifting relatively still in the air, but then got caught in an air current and began slowly moving on a straight course. Neither of these possible explanations can be confirmed beyond doubt, so there is still the possibility that this was a genuine sighting of an advanced craft. I have investigated many cases of silver spheres before, some of which have performed incredible manoeuvres or remained stationary in stormy weather conditions. So how you view this sighting will be down to your personal interpretation. If it was a genuine craft, then it is entirely conceivable that it had been observing the MOD Magnetic Range at the Southern end of Portland, just as Anthony believes it may have been. There are many cases on record of UFOs being seen in the vicinity of military establishments around the world. As I mentioned at the start of the report, Anthony has had two other sightings. His previous sighting of a formation of orange orbs over Portland can be read about here. To learn about his later sighting of a Flying Triangle in Bournemouth click here. Copyright Dave Hodrien 2024