Police Helicopter ‘Swerves' To Avoid UFO

From what we've been told so far then this particular report is certainly a strange one and again involving a police helicopter which I wrote about back in June, “UK UFO – Police Helicopter Crew Reports UFO.” Anyway here's the more recent report as originally posted by the Birmingham Mail on the 21 st November, 2008 but actually occured almost 5 weeks prior to the earlier report.

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UFO involved in a dramatic incident.

A POLICE helicopter flying over Birmingham narrowly avoided tragedy when it nearly collided with a UFO, a report has claimed. The pilot managed to swerve out of the mystery aircraft's way while he was on a routine police surveillance task over the city centre earlier this year. The helicopter was also carrying two police observers during the journey at around 9.50pm on May 2nd.

All three reported seeing an aircraft with two continuous blue/green lights – but were unable to identify what it was. The extraordinary incident is detailed in a document compiled by experts from the Airprox Board, which records near misses and reports them to the military and air traffic control units.

The report stated: “ The front observer saw unidentified lights flying around their aircraft. The pilot established visual contact, as he manoeuvred the aircraft to avoid a collision and to identify the light source.”

The object was less than 100m away and flew around them. The pilot told the Airprox Board he thought the intent may either have been sinister or just someone messing around. It was initially believed that the object was a radio controlled aircraft and that it was purposefully flown around the helicopter.

The report stated: “He (the pilot) believes the lights may have come from a radio controlled fixed wing aircraft, the lights being to assist with night flying.”

Despite searching the area with a thermal camera, the pilot was unable to find any signs of radio-controlled model activity. And the British Model Flying Association ruled out the possibility, saying the mystery object was flying too high to be a miniature craft. Leading expert Nick Pope, who previously worked for the Ministry of Defence's UFO desk and is nicknamed the British Fox Mulder, told the Birmingham Mail today:

“A helicopter was nearly blown out of the sky…..This is a very disturbing incident which needs to be thoroughly investigated by the MoD and the Civil Aviation Authority as well as other near misses…..The conclusion on the report is unsatisfactory especially when this aircraft came within seconds of a collision. It is a very interesting case especially when you look at the eyewitnesses. They are credible and reliable sources who have experience in night time flying…..This sighting clearly illustrates that whatever one believes about UFOs, this incident raises important air safety issues and should be taken seriously.”

Source: Birmingham Mail

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The Official Airprox summary is in a PDF file and it's quite large (668 Kb) and this event is only referenced in 3 pages of it, alternatively you can view the three pages in question by visiting here.

Possible Explanation For Flintshire UFO?

Firstly, I'll admit that I haven't researched the new(ish) Flintshire UFO story in the slightest and so the following is no more than conjecture and certainly not the 'concrete' evidence that the Flintshire mayor is searching for, but if you'll indulge me.....

After reading several accounts which appeared across the internet I was instantly reminded of an earlier UFO report (with images) that I researched quite a while ago.

Here are some (edited) images of the US UFO report.

3 images cropped and pasted together.

The report originated in the US and was reminiscent of the, “Cigar” like UFOs that are occasionally witnessed and reported, except of course that this particular object although it appeared structured didn't seem to resemble any of the earlier reports which were made regarding the classic cigar UFO.

Here's what I (and others) believed the object to be:

Regarding this recent Flintshire UFO report then as I said, I really haven't researched it in any detail whatsoever and subsequently I'm unable to make an informed decision, but…..

If I had to hazard a guess then it would be that the object was a solar balloon which are surprisingly easy to make and also relatively cheap to buy in kits. (Of course it may not have been the XXXXL model!!)

Anyway here are the two main articles from the website of the local newspaper:

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Flintshire mayor calls for witnesses after seeing 'pipe-like' UFO.

UFO sightings over North Wales

Flint mayor, Terry Renshaw, is asking if anybody else saw a flying ‘ pipe-like ' object in the sky above Flintshire. Flint 's town mayor is seeking witnesses after spotting a mysterious 'pipe-like' object in the sky. Flint mayor Terry Renshaw was making lunch at his home in Bagillt at about 1.30pm on Saturday, when he noticed a strange pipe-like object flying through the air.

"I thought at first that it was a plane trailing a big streamer behind it, but then I realised it was something else…..It looked like a big, flexible aluminium pipe and it was travelling very fast, with no sound…..I took a picture of it on my camera and carried on watching it for a bit and then it disappeared, behind what I thought was a cloud, but there were no clouds…..I then looked at the picture on my camera but there was nothing there – just a clear blue sky."

However, the sighting is not the first unusual object to be spotted in Flintshire's skies in recent months as during the Christmas and New Year period, dozens of residents reported seeing a series of strange orange lights travelling quickly across the sky. So far, no-one has been able to offer a concrete explanation as to exactly what these objects were and following this latest sighting, Cllr Renshaw is looking for anyone in the area who may have noticed something similar, adding:

"I have contacted the UFO Society to see if it has received any similar reports, but I have not heard anything from them yet…..I would be really interested to know if anyone in Flintshire spotted the same thing."

Did you see the object in the sky? Let us know by leaving a comment below or emailing digitalnews@nwn.co.uk

Source: Evening Leader Wrexham (Published: 02 Oct 2008)

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Flint mayor's UFO sighting verified by other spotters

A town mayor's sighting of a mysterious object in the sky has prompted other Flintshire residents to speak out about their own strange experiences. Flint mayor Terry Renshaw claims he spotted a strange 'pipe-like' object travelling silently in the sky above his home, at about 1.30pm on Saturday, September 27.

He contacted the Evening Leader to ask if anyone else in North Wales had seen something similar and as well as attracting interest from an American citizen, who reported seeing the same object near his house in Vermont, Cllr Renshaw's revelations match sightings from two other Flintshire residents.

Gwyneth Davies, of Buckley, said:

"I saw the object Cllr Renshaw saw in the sky at lunchtime that day….."I thought it was an odd shape to be a plane and it was so silent…..It was tubular shaped, and I was going to mention it to my husband, then the phone rang and I came in from the garden…..It was only after reading about his sighting that I remembered about it."

Another reader added:

"Whilst travelling to work Corus on October 5, at about 6.15pm, I looked towards Bagillt and noticed a large, shiny, tube-like object in the clear blue sky, which did not seem to be moving…..As I arrived at work, I mentioned this to other work mates, who looked towards Flint and the object was still visible."

Source: Evening Leader Wrexham (Published: 15 Oct 2008)

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If I was looking for explanations then a solar balloon would have to be satisfactorily dismissed before any more ‘exotic’ explanations were considered, especially when reading the above descriptions.