What was that?!

[AZDZ]

I was just outside enjoying some cool evening air when I spotted something in the air about a mile away to the east.

All I could see were 3 navigational beacons, a red and green & both were blinking (which is highly unusual!) The third was white and could only be seen when the craft was pointing towards me. The blinking red and green were always visible depending on which side it was presenting. So, to sum up, either all three were visible, a blinking red was only visible or a blinking green was only visible. No other beacons was visible.

It's movements were extremely variable; making circles and a zigzaging motion it slowly made its way closer but towards the south. I called to a neighbor to come check this out. He and his son, and one other who heard the commotion we were making over it were witnesses. We watched it turn north towards us but it was still a little to the east our us.

It wasn't totally silent but we didn't hear it until it was at closest approach, about 1000 feet, perhaps. At closest approach no other details save the beacons were to be seen. It continued circling and zigzaging its way to the north, turned back to the East then disappeared behind a distant tree canopy not to be seen again.

Other aircraft patterns did not seem to be affected, a nearby helicopter did not alter its path despite this presence.

I think that is everything. Thoughts?

Edited January 17, 2014 by AZDZ

[Q-C]

How did it's size and elevation compare with the other normal aircraft you also noticed? Were the lights all that was visible to you?

Edited January 17, 2014 by QuiteContrary

[SHaYap]

Drones test flight ~ gauging citizen awareness in the locality ~

[Mr.United_Nations]

Helicopter?

[Space Commander Travis]

So was the red light on one side and the green on the other side, and were these sides consistent to the direction it was moving, i.e. the red one on the left and the green one on the right? It does sound like an Helicopter searching or watching something, such as e.g. a Police or rescue helicopter or something like that.

[Crabby Kitten]

What did it sound like?

[grendals_bane]

Your description does sound a lot like a helicopter, as you can see from the image below there is a red and green navigation light either side of the craft, the white light you mention could either be the crafts landing light or search light (if it was a Police helicopter).

[AZDZ]

How did it's size and elevation compare with the other normal aircraft you also noticed? Were the lights all that was visible to you?

It's elevation appeared to be about the same as local helicopters but it was clearly smaller, more compact. For example normal helicopters of the area, when approaching head on have a w i d e r body than was seen here; the red and green lights being closer together implied an unusual narrowness of the fuselage. I could not tell how long it was because there were no lights on the tail, if it even had one.

Drones test flight ~ gauging citizen awareness in the locality ~

Drone was one of the things I'd considered.

Helicopter?

Gyrocopter was another, but it was so quiet and the strange nav. lights give me pause on that possibility.

So was the red light on one side and the green on the other side, and were these sides consistent to the direction it was moving, i.e. the red one on the left and the green one on the right? It does sound like an Helicopter searching or watching something, such as e.g. a Police or rescue helicopter or something like that.

Yes, the red and green lights were accurate except they blinked. A police helicopter was in the area but they didn't seem to be involved with whatever the other was doing. Possible though.

What did it sound like?

A faint buzzing.

Your description does sound a lot like a helicopter, as you can see from the image below there is a red and green navigation light either side of the craft, the white light you mention could either be the crafts landing light or search light (if it was a Police helicopter).

A plane, unless it was given special permission to alter established rules regarding placement of nav lights, is ruled out, imo. See above.

The nav lights on the copter in your illustration is close but no close enough, imo. This craft had no steady red on the bottom or tail. Neither white strobe on rear top and bottom.

[George Ford]

Probable drone. Police, military, government agencies and private companies and even hobbyists are really pushing drone technology by leaps and bounds. Expect to see weird and wonderful inventions over the next few years. I am expecting solar powered drones that can fly round the globe following the sun, staying above any cloud cover and never having to land except occasionally for motor maintenance. There are so many cool things they will be able to do apart from killing Muslims. For instance, now in Australia if someone who lives out in the sticks gets bitten by a snake, they have send out a helicopter with a pilot and a paramedic to give them an antidote injection. Well one day I think they will just put the coordinates into a drone and its head straight there and land in the nearest field or garden with the syringe in it ready to use. Amazon are even looking into automated drones to deliver goods.

Also it's not just flying drones that are being heavily researched. They are looking into submersible drones to hunt for boats and illegal immigrants and drug smuggling submarines etc. And land drones like the famous Boston Dynamics Dog, strap a camera and a .50cal machine gun and you have awesome off road fighting machines!

[AZDZ]

I suddenly got a bit of a chill reading that bit about the drone delivering a syringe, I recalled the syringe drone in SWE1 A New Hope but saying in the voice of the martians from Mars Attacks, 'I am your friend, I am here to help.'

But yeah, plenty of good things on the horizon with drone tech. Thanks.

Edited January 17, 2014 by AZDZ

[Space Commander Travis]

I suddenly got a bit of a chill reading that bit about the drone delivering a syringe, I recalled the syringe drone in SWE1 A New Hope but saying in the voice of the martians from Mars Attacks, 'I am your friend, I am here to help.'

But yeah, plenty of good things on the horizon with drone tech. Thanks.

I think Ray Bradbury had the idea first in Fahrenheit 451 with the Mechanical Hound.

[AZDZ]

Oh, well, yeah... just about everything was first better done in literature. There is nothing new under the sun, just different ways of presenting ideas.