Brian Vike's Favorite Cases.
Date:
July 25, 2004
Time:
2:18 p.m. CDT
Number
of witnesses: 2
Number
of objects: 1
Shape
of objects: Cylindrical
Full
Description of event/sighting: I wish to state that before I give the details
of the sighting that I been an avid aircraft watcher and enthusiast for over 40
years, an amateur astronomer for 40 years and a licensed Amateur Radio operator
for over 25 years.
My Sister is a capable aircraft spotter as
well and acquainted with the night sky too. I have waited this long to report
the sighting because I have been trying to exhaust all avenues available to
identify the object before I classify it as an unknown.
I also wish to preface this report by
stating a similar object was sighted twice by a young man (who is also an avid
amateur astronomer) I worked with at a local college, his first sighting was on
July 22, 2003, just north of the college and then about a week later north of
U.S. Hwy 50 near the Shattuc Road turn-off for the college.
In
both instances he was visibly upset by the experience because he could not
identify the object.
I
would also like to add that no mention of the objects was recorded in any of
the local or nearby newspapers or spoken about on any of the local radio
stations. I guess we where the only ones to see it.
Centralia
has a FAA VORTAC south of town and we are at a convergence of aerial highways,
so there are a number of civil and military aircraft that over-fly our area on
a regular basis. Scott Air Force Base is 40 miles to our west. Salem is to the
northeast of Centralia on U.S. Hwy 50 and next to Interstate 57.
UFO
Sighting-Salem, Illinois 25 July 2004 at 2:18pm CDT
Sky
condx- Sunny, no clouds, unlimited visibility.
Temp- 80-85 degrees F.
Sun Position- to the west passed zenith.
Wind - light to moderate
Object Angular Altitude during sighting- varied from 50 degrees to 90 degrees
above the horizon.
Direction
of travel when object was sighted- northbound on College street near the
intersection of College street and U.S. Hwy 50.
No other aircraft noted in the vicinity. Salem-Leckrome Municipal Airport is
approximately 1 to 2 miles to the northwest. There was no aircraft visible from
our location to be in the landing pattern.
My
Sister and I were on our way to the Salem Super Walmart when we turned north on
College Street in Salem from Whittaker St. and proceed toward the Hwy 50
intersection.
We
had been engaged in general conversation when my Sister exclaimed she saw
something up in the sky. I was in moderate traffic and driving so I tried to
see the object and drive at the same time which was proving difficult.
As
I neared the intersection she began to scream at me that the object had stopped
in midair! Now my Sister is the pragmatic sort and a UFO skeptic and to have
her screaming at me as she was hanging out of the passenger window that an
flying object had become stationary in midair was extraordinary.
I
cleared the intersection and as I did I got a brief 2 to 5 second glimpse of
the object hanging serenely there above us. It was a milky white cylindrical
object with rounded ends. There was no appendages of any kind.
The
surface outline was generally distinct and smooth without any bulges, but there
were no visible ports or doors nor was there any sound from the object or
visible exhaust from a propulsion system.
The
milky whiteness of the object gave it a slight fuzzy look and its altitude I
would have to guess, possibly 7,000 to 10,000 feet. It could have been lower.
After
my brief glimpse I had to return watching the road and my Sister exploded with
a second howl that the object was backing up. It was backing up! The object had
originally been traveling slowly on a westbound lateral track, then stopped and
remained motionless for several minutes (where I saw it) and then reversed
itself backward along it’s flight path and began traveling eastbound!
It
did not at any time bank and make a 180 degree left or right turn or pitch up or
down and complete a reversed loop. It just stopped in midair, backed up
or reversed itself along its line of travel and went to the east at the same
slow speed. It didn't turn around, it just backed up.
My
Sister continued to relay reports to me as I drove northbound on College
Street.
The
object began to slowly shrink until it was a tiny white dot and then she lost
it completely-it had disappeared! A few moments later it reappeared as a full
white cylinder now angling toward the northeast. Again the object exhibited the
shrinking act again and finally disappeared for good.
Approximate
duration of combined sighting- 5 to 8 minutes.
Additional
Note: The following Sunday my Sister and I returned to Salem out of curiosity.
We were traveling northbound on U.S. Hwy 37 (Salem is intersected by U.S. Hwys
50 and 37.) when just south of Salem I saw the object this time. My Sister
didn't see it.
It
first appeared as a polished metallic cylinder reflecting the sunlight, then transitioned to the milky white color, then began to shrink to a white dot
and then disappeared. This time it didn't reappear, though the sky condx were
similar to 25 July in all respects. I shouldn't have lost it at all.
I
saw Cessna 172 at a later day while observing from the same position south of
Salem and easily tracked it as it flying across the city on its way to
Salem-Leckrome Airport. After a year of investigation I have no explanation as
to the identity of the object. I have tried over the last year to view high and
low altitude aircraft in all conceivable weather and lighting conditions to see
if perhaps if we misidentified a known aircraft, but the object still defies
explanation.
I
have seen the B-2 Stealth Bomber in flight over Centralia in daylight and
though it is hard to see against the blue sky, it can still be identified as a
B-2. I have seen the B-2 refueling over Centralia, also in daylight, and then
again was easily identifiable.
My
Sister is still skeptical about UFOs and thinks the object was a Black Ops
aircraft of some sort. I was on the fence regarding UFOs, but my views now have
tilted toward the existence of such craft.
I
recently saw on the Coast to Coast AM website several photos taken by someone
who saw the same object we did. If I can locate the photos I will send them to
you.
Finally,
I probably would have dismissed the sighting as a mis-identified aircraft if
the object had not exhibited anomalous motion. Too anomalous. After all the
years reading about people seeing such objects we are now apart of that group.
If
you have any questions regarding this sighting or require additional
information, please email me at the above email address and I will be happy to
assist you.
Thank
you to the witness for the excellent report.
Brian Vike, Director
Kamloops British Columbia Canada UFO Research. Email: brian_vike@telus.net
The Vike Factor Blog.
Kamloops British Columbia Canada UFO Research.
