Sighting in Norges-la-Ville, May 16, 1993

At around 7:15 pm, a microlight pilot and a passenger were flying in excellent weather and very good visibility when they noticed a sphere with bluish reflections. It was spinning on itself, moving at high speed and closing in quickly on the aircraft. The pilot turned, and the sphere crossed their path. The pilot then began a second turn to get a better look and follow it, but it had vanished. The sighting lasted 15 to 20 seconds.

Only the pilot filed a statement with the gendarmerie; the passenger confirmed the pilot's account by telephone.

The GEIPAN concluded that the object was probably a Mylar balloon carried by the wind at altitude. Its appearance fits: spherical, with a metallic surface reflecting the sun's rays. The fast movement in the opposite direction is consistent with this explanation, since the microlight's own speed and the impossibility of judging the distance of an unrecognised object distort the perception of motion, even if the balloon was almost stationary. The witness was not sure about the rotation. The disappearance after the turn is not surprising, as the balloon, with a small angular size, had ample time to move out of sight. The case was classified B: the description was fairly good, but the lack of angular data and of a written second statement prevented a firm identification.