Sighting in Villeneuve, July 3, 2015

Several people noticed an unusual luminous phenomenon in the night sky at about 10:29 p.m. Only one witness filed a report: for three to four minutes, they saw two parallel, horizontal rows of round white lights with no halo. Gradually the lights formed a triangle, with no apparent noise, then began a curve and disappeared toward the west.

GEIPAN's investigation linked lights arranged in regular geometric shapes to an aerial display team rehearsing or performing. The Patrouille de France, based at Salon-de-Provence, confirmed that it had exceptionally flown at night in the region on 1 and 3 July: a rehearsal on the 1st, and the display on the 3rd for the naming ceremony of the graduating classes. The silence is normal, since an aircraft seen head-on from more than a few kilometres away is barely audible. The 8 Alphajets carry powerful headlights visible from over 10 km along the flight axis; when the aircraft turn, the beam changes direction and observers positioned in the original axis see them vanish suddenly. Seen from the side, only their red or green position lights are visible, too weak to be seen from far away. Seen head-on, the approach cannot be perceived and the aircraft seem motionless.

GEIPAN also received reports of the same team on 1 July from Valensole, Lurs and Sainte-Tulle, about ten km away. Since 2008, similar reports have reached GEIPAN every year in early July from Provence, including one from Villeneuve on 5 July 2013. The case was classified A: a certain sighting of the 8 Alphajets of the Patrouille de France.