Sighting in Grambois, July 5, 2013

Between 10:40 pm and 11:05 pm, a driver and their partner noticed several white lights moving about silently in the sky. Other motorists also pulled over to watch. Only one account was collected, however.

The investigation found that the witness's description matched a night-time training flight of the Patrouille de France, and was very similar to accounts gathered for this event, which takes place every year on the first Friday of July. The silence, which surprised the witness as it does many observers, is explained by the great distance and by the fact that they were facing the aircraft. Misjudging the distance also made the planes seem to move too slowly. The number of visible points of light depends on the geometry of the formation, since some aircraft can hide another. The very powerful lights of the Alpha Jets, together with a very clear sky, make the aircraft look closer than they really are, a misjudgement that is almost impossible to avoid beforehand, even for an experienced observer.

The Patrouille de France confirmed that its manoeuvres that day lasted until 11:13 pm. The case was classified A: observation of the Patrouille de France.