Sighting in Saint-Maurice, September 14, 2014

Between midnight and 12:30 a.m., several round yellow points of light were seen in the night sky over the Val-de-Marne, between two neighbouring towns. They came from the northeast and moved in a line, slowly and silently, in successive waves. Their number was estimated at about forty. Two witness accounts were collected.

The witnesses reported what they had seen to the Gendarmerie des transports aériens, which was paying particular attention at the time to small low-flying objects, drones in particular. It therefore handled the case itself, with special care.

Its investigation established the origin of the phenomenon precisely: 35 Thai lanterns had been released to celebrate a PACS (a civil partnership). A request for authorisation for the release had been made to the prefecture, which had granted it. On the strength of the gendarmerie's investigation, the GEIPAN classified the case as A, fully identified: the lights were Thai lanterns.