Weird formation spotted

This morning, I spotted a pretty weird formation at around 4:30 am CEST.

There were two planes in what looked like a trail formation. Both had nav lights and anti collision lights flashing. Judging from the lights, the planes can't have been far away, but I didn't hear any kind of engine sound, so I can't tell whether they were jets or props or gliders (or possibly even helicopters).

They didn't seem to be flying high, I'd estimate 5,000 ft AGL tops, probably more like 2,000 ft. They must have flown right over the city (Hannover, GER) in a south-west heading. As far as I can tell, they flew straight and steady at constant speed. I don't usually see planes flying that particular heading.

The trailing aircraft looked like it followed the lead aircraft in a 6 o'clock position, but it may have been somewhere between 5 and 7 o'clock; hard to tell from the ground. For the short while I saw them (about one minute), they seemed to keep their formation. The distance is, again, hard to estimate; it was not a close formation as you'd see it in aerial refueling, but it looked closer than a DCS AI trail formation.

The sky was clear, the dawning noticeable, but overall it was still dark. I couldn't make out any kind of contrail or exhaust fumes behind them.

I watched them through two different windows and their flashing lights were not in sync, so I'm sure it was not just a reflection. But their lights were flashing at the same intervals and looked equally spaced, so I'm guessing both aircraft were of the same type.

Anyone have an idea what kind of flight that might have been?

And nope, no drugs or booze involved on my end. :)

Over Hannower? No sound?

I just remembered flightradar24.com; there's also a playback functionality. Right around that time, around 2:30 am UTC, it shows two AF Boeing 777 en route to CDG at 36,000 ft and 34,000 ft respectively just west of Hannover.

I could have sworn that whatever I saw was way lower and way closer, but it kinda makes sense that I just saw two airliners with lots of spacing who looked like they were flying a trail formation. This would also explain why I couldn't hear any engine sounds.

Well. There go my wild conspiracy theories that I thought were going to come up every second now... :music_whistling::D

Over Hannower? No sound?

 

Haha, good one! :D

As a kid I saw a bright light, very high in the sky. It was evening, but the sun was still up and still, the light was much brighter than any star in the sky. I watched it several minutes until I realized that the light in fact was moving. Slowly, very slowly it was seemlingly comming closer, or at least it was headint into my general direction. But it slooooow - and it did not get bigger. Just a bright point in the sky.

I was watching it several minutes - as in about half an hour. Wtf was that ... ufo?? Scary ...

I used see a picture of this formation at the airport. It was posted as a warning to private pilots on how the Local Air Force reserve practices. They will fly in 2 groups of 2. 1st group will fly leader then his wingman off his tail between 100-200ft. Then a follow up group of 2 will fly 3-6 miles behind them and about 1500 feet higher. This is how the USAF reserve flies in the Midwest. I would assume other air forces have a similar formation.

Edit. Reading the 777 post. They are very large airplanes. If you don't work with them, it would be easy to think it was a smaller 737 or airbus flying lower.

As a kid I saw a bright light, very high in the sky. [...]

I once mistook a disco light for a UFO during a clouded night. It looked as if some object was circling in the clouds with strong lights pointed downward. Took me hours until I could finally see the light cone coming from the ground and realize my mistake.

It's strange how simple it is to mistake normal things for something extraordinary. :detective:

Regarding the strong light effect, I saw something similar a few weeks ago; turned out to be a standard fixed wing jet at medium altitude with landing lights on, headed straight in my direction. For a minute or two I was a bit confused about it until I could also see the nav lights flashing.

Edit. Reading the 777 post. They are very large airplanes. If you don't work with them, it would be easy to think it was a smaller 737 or airbus flying lower.

Since I only saw the lights, there was just no way to guess the objects' shapes, except that there seemed to be wingtip lights, thus indicating some kind of fixed wing aircraft. But it's amazing how far away the wingtip light appeared to be from the fuselage anti collision light on both aircraft. Even with an aircraft as large as a 777, I'd have thought the lights would be practically indistinguishable at 12+ km slant range.

we had this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fOJpwdnVuw

:)

we had this:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fOJpwdnVuw

 

 

:)

You had some airplanes throwing flares, woopedoo.

Had what? stupid people?

 

You had some airplanes throwing flares, woopedoo.

note the smiley, in the post... :smilewink:

note the smiley, in the post... :smilewink:

Sure thing! :thumbup:

Could be a "Black Project" this was sighted in March of this year

http://aviationweek.com/blog/mystery-aircraft-over-texas

You can sometimes see satellites, which can appear as odd airplanes depending on the orbit and your position. There are dedicated websites which compute sighting parameters for you when you enter an L/L.