NUFORC UFO Sighting 189658
Occurred: 2025-05-15 05:11 Local
Reported: 2025-05-16 10:29 Pacific
Duration: 20 minutes
No of observers: 1

Location: Big Bear Lake, CA, USA

Shape: Circle
Color: Bright w gray and bl
Estimated Size: Idk
Viewed From: Land
Direction from Viewer: South/east
Angle of Elevation: 81
Closest Distance: No clue, miles, very high up
Estimated Speed: In place
Explanation: Planet/Star - Possible
Characteristics: Lights on object, Emitted other objects

Couldn't have been stars, planets, or normal sky activity.

There was 1 main object that was very bright and large. It appeared to have a similar object almost unnoticed but I could see it's movement near the bright object, it was round and looked like a shadow. 1 additional object I couldn't tell if it was attached but it was a blue light color that stayed next to, or connected to the bright circle.




Posted 2025-05-21

NUFORC UFO Sighting 181643
Occurred: 2024-05-23 21:14 Local
Reported: 2024-05-25 01:40 Pacific
Duration: 2 minutes
No of observers: 2

Location: Big Bear, CA, USA
Location details: N / A

Shape: Light
Color: White
Estimated Size: Looked like a moving star
Viewed From: Land
Direction from Viewer: West
Angle of Elevation: 90
Closest Distance: Plane distance
Estimated Speed: Not sure
Explanation: Rocket - Certain
Characteristics: Aura or haze around object

Light appeared rapidly from the west side of the sky heading slowly towards the east and began to dim and finally disappeared

First night at the AIRBNB my girlfriend and I rented for memorial weekend, and as we were in the back deck, we noticed this bright light emitting out of thin air in the sky. So, luckily we had our phones on our person and began to record and film this bright object in the sky. At first, we thought is was a rocket, but it didn’t have a tail like they normally do. So as it began to slowly dim and dim, we noticed the object looked like a pyramid in shape. The object then disappeared into thin air. Not sure what this is or was, but it was definitely not an airplane because the planes looked nothing like this bright object, also didn’t make any sound at all like the planes did passing by. Also, excuse the language on the video, not sure how to edit that out, but my apologies. I never seen anything like this before. Hope this video footage helps with any data and hopefully for the others who experienced the same thing I did that night out here in Big Bear, California. Thank you.




Posted 2024-05-26

NUFORC UFO Sighting 181644
Occurred: 2024-05-23 21:13 Local
Reported: 2024-05-25 01:52 Pacific
Duration: 2 minutes
No of observers: 2

Location: Big Bear, CA, USA

Shape: Sphere
Color: White
Viewed From: Land
Angle of Elevation: 57
Explanation: Rocket - Certain
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aura or haze around object

UFO over Big Bear Mountains

We saw a bright light that outshined stars and planes and was moving at a fast pace, but then disappeared into the sky.




Posted 2024-05-26

NUFORC UFO Sighting 180513
Occurred: 2023-12-11 13:30 Local - Approximate
Reported: 2024-02-20 20:03 Pacific
Duration: Seconds
No of observers: 1

Location: Big Bear Lake, CA, USA
Location details: Big Bear from second floor balcony.

Shape: Disk
Color: Silver
Estimated Size: Dime
Viewed From: Land
Direction from Viewer: Straight above me towards trees
Angle of Elevation: 45
Estimated Speed: Not sure
Explanation: Reflection - Certain


Captured object while taking pictures.

We had arrived at Vacation resort, I was taking pictures with iphone and just enjoying the clean air and gorgeous mountains.

Was not aware I had captured object until I decided to view my vacation photos. I expanded photo and realized object was a UFO.

NUFORC Note:

If the photo was taken through a plate glass window, we believe that the anomalous object is a reflection of a recessed ceiling light.





Posted 2024-03-13

NUFORC UFO Sighting 157336
Occurred: 2020-06-29 22:00 Local
Reported: 2020-07-04 09:56 Pacific
Duration: 1 seconds
No of observers: 1

Location: Big Bear Lake, CA, USA

Shape: Unknown
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aura or haze around object

2 Bright Speeding Lights over Big Bear Lake

I saw 2 very bright lights, about 10 minutes apart that traveled in the same direction at super speed, like 1,000 mph. I only saw it for a couple of seconds. They appeared to be so close, like maybe a 200 yards up from the ground and definitrly in our atmosphere. I've seen shooting stars before and these didn't look like them. They were very bright, appeared large, flying over the Big Bear Lake. I wish I captured a video.

Posted 2020-07-09

NUFORC UFO Sighting 150566
Occurred: 2019-11-11 05:55 Local
Reported: 2019-11-11 18:16 Pacific
Duration: 4 minutes
No of observers: 3

Location: Big Bear Lake, CA, USA

Shape: Fireball


Long stretch of consecutive lights at very high altitude crossed over the ski area horizon just after sunset, followed by two craft that looked like solid operational craft. All were in a formation as if designed. Almost appeared as if the two largertagets were chasing the string of decaying lights.

Posted 2019-12-01

NUFORC UFO Sighting 150446
Occurred: 2019-08-31 11:58 Local
Reported: 2019-11-06 19:51 Pacific
Duration: 1 minute
No of observers: 1

Location: Big Bear, CA, USA

Shape: Light
Characteristics: Lights on object

Two UFO's flying over Holcomb Valley Pinnacles. Pictures included

In late August 2019 my girlfriend and I went camping / climbing in the Holcomb Valley Pinnacles. Everyone went to bed and I took my camera out for some astro photography. I was on top of a huge rock 20 feet in the air with my camera looking out toward the north west over the pinnacles. I saw several planes fly through the sky over an hour or so then I saw two what I thought were planes flying next to one another through the sky headed west north west. I had my camera pointed that way and captured them. Planes make a flashing line in astro photography as you leave the shutter open to allow more light in and there lights are flashing. These ufo's left two solid lines through the photo. I don't know what they were, but they didn't look like planes after I took a closer look at the photos. I could see a solid light as they flew. I've been taking astro photos for a few years now and am pretty familiar with how things look in the sky and pictures. These did not do! anything crazy, but do not look right.



Posted 2019-12-01

NUFORC UFO Sighting 147283
Occurred: 2019-07-03 21:35 Local
Reported: 2019-07-03 22:36 Pacific
Duration: 45 seconds
No of observers: 4

Location: Big Bear, CA, USA

Shape: Light
Characteristics: Lights on object

There was a star like object that was the brightest in the sky. It started to move faster than a shooting star. It went one direction then went dim and went back in the opposite direction. The light went dark and then blinked a few times before moving in a circular motion only to disappear.



Posted 2019-07-05

NUFORC UFO Sighting 119295
Occurred: 2015-05-29 10:30 Local
Reported: 2015-06-02 11:26 Pacific
Duration: 5-10 seconds
No of observers: 2

Location: Big Bear Lake, CA, USA

Shape: Sphere


Metallic sphere spotted in broad daylight in a clear sky on a mountain road.

Friday, May 29, 2015 at approximately 10:30am, my 11 year old son & I were driving East on Highway 18. We were roughly 20 minutes West of Big Bear Lake. The morning was clear. Blue skies, not a cloud in any direction.

As we were driving on this narrow two-lane, winding road, I saw a shiny, round ball in the sky, I’m guessing it was a couple thousand feet up. It looked like metal, and reflected the sunlight like a really nice chrome finish on a classic car. It was textured, like it had different shapes of metal covering the outside; it was not smooth or flawless.

We were listening to music, so I can’t confirm if there was any sound associated with the object. We had the car windows down, but all I heard was music and the sound of our own engine.

It didn’t look like it was moving, and appeared to be stationary in the sky, although I can’t say that positively because I was in a moving vehicle. I looked at it intermittently for approximately 5-10 second! s. It didn’t look like it was connected to anything, however I figured it must be.

Then we drove around a curve in the road and my view was obscured by trees and hillside. This mountain area has a good amount of forest cover. I remember wondering what it could be, and figured once we came around that curve it would be obvious what it was… I was expecting to see the ball connected to something else, maybe on a wire. It didn’t look like a vehicle of any sort. But once we were around the curve, maybe 10 seconds later, it wasn’t anywhere to be seen. I was looking all over, as best as I could while driving, but didn’t see it anywhere.

Before I could say anything about it, my son commented about how he had seen a shiny ball in the sky. He had seen the exact same thing I did. But like me, now he didn’t see it anywhere either. We talked about it for a few seconds, then I pulled over to the next turnout on the road, and it happened to be a part of the road which came to an overlook for a huge valley. We were mainly facing East, but we had a good view in all directions, due to the fact we were at a valley overlook. There was no shiny metal sphere in any direction, nothing in the sky, nothing on the hillside in the trees. No balloons, no helicopters.

I’m willing to accept any logical explanation, but it didn’t look like anything I can think of, and the fact that it was up in the sky and then gone within a matter of seconds throws me off even more.

I have no idea what it was, but “unidentified” certainly is an accurate description.

Posted 2015-06-05

NUFORC UFO Sighting 98853
Occurred: 2013-06-23 11:30 Local
Reported: 2013-06-23 12:09 Pacific
Duration: 4 minutes
No of observers: 4

Location: Big Bear, CA, USA

Shape: Light


It looked exactly like the daytime video I've seen from over mexico. Started out seeing one or two lights moving in a small section of sky, then many more just seemed to appear and move in bunches back and forth in the same small section of sky.

After a few minutes of watching this dance they just disappeared.

While writting this report my brother started saying there back there back. The lag time between sightings was about 10 to 15 minutes.

They reappeared in greater numbers in the same section of sky...probably around 40 total, in cluster doing the same dance.

This second wave lasted about this same length of time as the first.

Posted 2013-07-03

NUFORC UFO Sighting 92546
Occurred: 2012-09-07 00:00 Local - Approximate
Reported: 2012-09-07 21:41 Pacific
Duration:
No of observers: 2

Location: Big Bear City, CA, USA

Shape: Circle
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aura or haze around object

It was bright wright,and stopped then moved,then did same thing then it vanished.

I was in my room when i notice a bright object outside so i went on my porch to see if it was a plane it stopped for like 3 seconds then it continued to move then it stopped again and moved then it vanished.It was bright wright so i wasn't able to see what it had.There was 2 of these about 80 feet apart,they both were going slow.




NUFORC Note:

Witness indicates that the date of the sighting is approximate. PD


Posted 2012-09-24

NUFORC UFO Sighting 91734
Occurred: 2012-08-12 03:30 Local
Reported: 2012-08-12 08:41 Pacific
Duration: 6 minutes
No of observers: 4

Location: Big Bear, CA, USA

Shape: Other
Characteristics: Lights on object

star like object in Big Bear, Ca

We were observing the open sky watching the meteor shower and my sister pointed out a plane moving across the sky in the far north of our view moving south and I noticed it looked too far to be a plane and it looked like a star as we watched it started moving erratically and instantly knew it wasn’t a plane or helicopter it was as if it was jumping in different spots, I showed my wife and father and we all watched it move very fast and erratic far south and it disappeared, after about 15 seconds it reappeared moving at very high speeds going back north, once it got to the middle of the sky it went east until we could no longer see it.



Posted 2012-08-19

NUFORC UFO Sighting 72602
Occurred: 2009-09-22 23:00 Local
Reported: 2009-09-25 09:37 Pacific
Duration: 15 minutes
No of observers: 2

Location: Big Bear City, CA, USA

Shape: Light
Characteristics: Aura or haze around object

Driving home on hwy. 38 going towards Big Bear I saw six amber lights hovering above the mountain approximately 1000 feet above the ridgeline.

I started to take pictures and as soon as my flash went off the lights went to four then three then one and then out.

Posted 2009-12-12

NUFORC UFO Sighting 174592
Occurred: 2009-08-20 19:30 Local - Approximate
Reported: 2023-02-15 17:56 Pacific
Duration: Seconds
No of observers: 2

Location: Big Bear, CA, USA
Location details: Just before Onyx Summit

Shape: Sphere


We were driving home up the mountain it was silver and went so fast across through the canyon and out of sight

We were driving up the mountain and just before Onyx Summit a round silver object flew by so fast coming from the desert and was out of sight in seconds. You can follow planes in the sky, you could not follow this, it was gone in seconds. This is the second time I saw the same thing. The other time was a couple years before this. I was alone coming up hwy 38. The moon was out so it was clear. It moved in a curved trajectory that time ,not like anything we know can move. At least I don’t think we have anything that can move like that. Curved up and over a mountain towards me and disappeared. It was @ 10 pm that time in the Summer. When the one in August 2009 happened, I told my friend. She and her husband said their 5 year old grandson was coming up the hill with his Mom from Lucerne Valley and he yelled “what the heck was that,” ( exactly what we said lol) and described the same exact thing we saw. This was the same week, same night. A few years later in December I was coming home from Christmas shopping and my daughter and Mom were with me and my daughter and I saw one again in Big Bear City on hwy 38 coming East to west moving so fast you almost missed it. Mom didn’t see it this time ,she was in the backseat. They were about the size of a mini van I would say maybe bigger, but hard to tell in the sky. The one in 2009 wasn’t flying high and shot through the canyon behind Snow Summit and Bear Mountain ski resorts. This moved much much faster than an airplane. Interesting fact, I was told by a client that there is a secret uranium mine ( not so secret I guess) at the base of Sugarloaf Mountain on the other side of Onyx Summit that he stumbled on while 3 wheeling and was chased off by military. He said he got through the fence and some things rose up out of the ground and military came out and chased him away. He was kind of odd, so not sure on the validity of his claim? Another client told me she worked for the Forest Service and there was an old guy who came and always told them of strange things like we described for years .They just thought he was off. She worked at the location on hwy 38 near where I and Mom saw it. But he was nice so they listened. Another client told me years ago she and her brother were driving up hwy 38(same side of the mountain) and some sort of craft came down and hovered in front of them and didn’t move and they had to stop until it just took off straight up!!!! Strange happenings in Big Bear for sure!!!!! I no longer live there ,but still call it home! I moved 5 years ago. I plan on returning there when My Mom goes. I take care of her. I owned a Hair Salon there and antique store.

Posted 2023-03-06

NUFORC UFO Sighting 57339
Occurred: 2007-06-23 21:00 Local
Reported: 2007-06-27 12:45 Pacific
Duration: 2-3 minutes
No of observers: 3

Location: Big Bear, CA, USA

Shape: Light


Single bright light in Big Bear, CA sky

At approximately 9-9:30pm we witnessed a bright light (much brighter than a star) move from North to South in the sky, stop, make slow "S" curves in a downward fashion, stop, then proceed downward in a straight line and dissappear behind the trees.

This event lastest between 1-2 minutes. The light was brighter than the space station and it was opposite the space station in the sky. The light was so bright it had four points of brightness eminating from it.

Posted 2007-08-07

NUFORC UFO Sighting 45190
Occurred: 2005-07-04 20:00 Local
Reported: 2005-07-20 21:21 Pacific
Duration: instantanious
No of observers: 6

Location: Big Bear Lake, CA, USA

Shape: Circle


a bright white circular shape, with an odd design on the outer layer, and transparrent objects around it with the same design.

these objects were seen in a picture and not actually seen with the naked eye. at first it looked as if it were a moon but there was no moon out that night. this object had a strange design on its surface. there is one big white bolsd circular object and the rest are the same only smaller and transparent. i took the picture over a lake looking at the mountains at in the evening whil taking pictures the first one i took shows mountains with the same transparent objects and in the second picture i took the location of the objects changed and the was a much brighter and solid object in the sky. i have a picture with and with out the main object i am concerned about although both pictures have the transparent objects.



Posted 2005-09-02

NUFORC UFO Sighting 34463
Occurred: 2003-07-25 00:00 Local - Approximate
Reported: 2004-01-14 18:50 Pacific
Duration: camp out
No of observers: 1

Location: Big Bear, CA, USA

Shape: Unknown
Characteristics: Lights on object

flashing blue lights, darting,fast

I was on a boy scout camp out whith my dad.the camp got to nosie so i went to go look at the stars so i am walking over to a van.and i look up and i see this object flying and darting around in the night sky.i am positive it i was not aplane because it was darting around in sutch speed i was to fast for a plane.then it zoomed off and whent out of sight.and then i whent back to camp and told my storey and of crose they didn`t belive me



NUFORC Note:

Date is approximate. PD


Posted 2004-01-17

NUFORC UFO Sighting 28101
Occurred: 2003-02-04 22:30 Local - Approximate
Reported: 2003-03-12 14:43 Pacific
Duration: About a minute
No of observers: 2

Location: Big Bear, CA, USA

Shape: Cigar
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aura or haze around object, Emitted beams

It was amazing

The craft flew above us without making any noise. The craft immited white ight, it was almost blinding us. The it suddenly disapeared behind the clouds.



NUFORC Note:

We suspect the witness implies "Big Bear, CA." We have amended the city above. Date is approximate. PD


Posted 2003-03-21

NUFORC UFO Sighting 20723
Occurred: 2001-12-05 18:00 Local
Reported: 2001-12-06 20:45 Pacific
Duration: 45 sec all together
No of observers: 3

Location: Big Bear City, CA, USA

Shape: Triangle
Characteristics: Lights on object, Changed Colo

A triangular shape flys overhead and hovers over trees.

Well i was driving down the blvd with my mom when we notice this vertical line of lights. The colors were green, red, white and blue. We don't think anything of it until we see the lights swerve to the right and turn. This is where you can actually see an object. It is a triangular form, except at the bottom it is wavy with curves. It is in front of us in the sky. It is as close to us that u can actually see the textures and graphical features on this object. I would have to say that comparing the size of this object to the sun, it was smaller because of its actual distance though. My mother then stops the car, but at that very moment the object goes flying in the opposite direction and we lose contact.

About a minute later, driving down the same road we tend to spot the same object again. This time the object appears from the right. It makes a semi-circle in counter-clockwise motion. It starts to hover over some trees. When at that moment, it enters the forests and flies between the trees. This is when we lose contact. I'm not sure what this was. I'm also not saying that this has any relation to aliens. All i know is that i know what i saw, and if u call me crazy, go ahead because im not blind when i'm telling you exactly what i saw.



NUFORC Note:

We spoke with this witness, and found her to be convincing. It sounded to us as though the witnesses apparently witnessed something unusual. PD


Posted 2002-01-11

NUFORC UFO Sighting 49136
Occurred: 2001-05-26 23:20 Local
Reported: 2006-02-14 23:28 Pacific
Duration: 6 minutes
No of observers: 2

Location: Big Bear, CA, USA

Shape: Orb
Characteristics: Lights on object

Bright yellow and dim blue points that maneuvered and finally climbed straight up and out of sight

On Saturday, May 26, 2001, at around 11:20 pm, at the RTMC Astronomy Expo, my friend and I were walking down the road to get to our car when I noticed a bright object come over the hills (from the south west?), moving very much like a satellite, only it was brighter than a satellite. I ran to the car to get my binoculars naively thinking that if this was too bright to be a regular satellite, maybe it was the International Space Station. When the object was about at zenith, it slowed to a stop. My friend and others camping in the area exclaimed in surprise when this happened. I trained my binoculars on the object and discovered that it was actually two objects, one glowing bright yellow that we had been following with our naked eyes, and the other much dimmer and glowing a deep, deep blue. While the yellow object was now moving very slowly and steadily, the blue object seemed to orbit tightly, rapidly, and haphazardly around the yellow object, constantly changing directions and speed.

After meandering around the sky above us for maybe 1 or 2 minutes, it began to climb. I could not judge its altitude. People around us thought it was anywhere from 20,000 to 100,000 feet up. Through the binoculars, I guessed that it was about 1,000 to 10,000 feet up and climbing, but who knows? Eventually, the blue object slipped behind the yellow object and I never saw it again. At that moment the yellow object began to gyrate rapidly and wildly in a small area and seemed to leave a short trail. I thought maybe my binoculars were shaking, but this was not the case since the background stars were not themselves gyrating.

The object continued to climb quite rapidly until it was difficult to see even with the binoculars and then we lost it.

I'm guessing this whole thing lasted about 6 minutes, and the whole time we did not hear a sound from the objects.

It is certainly possible that this was some kind of hoax since the RTMC might be a tempting target for hoaxers. I also considered aircraft from a nearby airport, but its behavior and appearance were unlike any aircraft I have ever seen, and it did not make a sound. The RTMC is held up in the mountains at a YMCA camp. The air that night was cool and very still.

I tried to see if at any point the space between these lights would block out the stars behind it, but I could not come to any conclusions mostly because it was always moving and was small even in the binoculars. Funny that I had a nice digital video camera in the back seat of the car and didn't even think to use it! About a year after this happened, I contacted an organizer via e-mail. He saw it, too, but felt that the object was "in the hundreds of feet up", and given the venue was probably a hoax of some kind.

I'm a computer programmer and my friend is a mechanical and electrical engineer.

The location of the RTMC can be found here: http://www.rtmcastronomyexpo.org/index.html

Posted 2006-03-11

NUFORC UFO Sighting 11561
Occurred: 2000-01-02 21:35 Local
Reported: 2000-01-02 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 6-7 sec.
No of observers: 1

Location: Big Bear Lake, CA, USA

Shape: Other
Characteristics: Aura or haze around object, Left a trail

I seen a object low on the eastern sky traveling to the south almost horizonal maybe 5 degrees down the object was blueish front traling off with a bright white tail. The object was thumbnail size at arms length not including the tail. I veiwed it until I lost it behind the house and trees across the street

I seen a object very low on the horizion traveling on a compus heading about 150 degrees decending at about 5 to 10 degrees decent. I seen one object blueish white on the front with a bright white tail. The object seemed to be moveing rather slow, I watched through double glass doors and jumped up and went out on the deck and still had time to watch it disappear behind the house and trees across the street. I viewed this object in the eastern sky about 15 degrees elevation about thumbnail size at arms length. with the tail extending out behind.

Posted 2000-01-07

NUFORC UFO Sighting 181450
Occurred: 1999-09-18 21:00 Local
Reported: 2024-05-10 09:32 Pacific
Duration: 1 to 2 min each
No of observers: 3

Location: Big Bear City, CA, USA
Location details: Front front porch of house

Shape: Star
Color: White like a star
Estimated Size: unknown
Viewed From: Land
Direction from Viewer: South East
Angle of Elevation: 90
Closest Distance: 80,000 feet. It looked to be where satelites orbit
Estimated Speed: As fast as a laser light could move across a wall


Objects that looked just like a typical star or satelite but moving, stopping, turning and changing speed.

I was 13 years old. My 11 year old sister and my Mom were skywatching and saw what looked just like a star or satelite moving across the sky. When we continued to follow it the "satelite" would make movements such as stopping, starting again, changing directions, changing speed, zigzagging then it would zip away. We could look away and easily find the same object continuing to make these movements so we know it wasn't just a trick of the eye. We saw 3 of these within a 30 minute period. Each time it would last about 1-2 minutes each time. I also saw this same thing in Las Vegas about 14 years later. My husband and stepdaughter called me outside because they were seeing the exact thing I just described. I came outside and saw this same thing. It went fast, stopped, fast again, zig zagged then made a loop and zipped away out of sight. I was so excited to see it again so my husband and stepdaughter could experience what I described to them seeing when I was 13 years old.

Posted 2024-05-10

NUFORC UFO Sighting 35609
Occurred: 1997-04-14 18:00 Local - Approximate
Reported: 2004-03-15 10:29 Pacific
Duration: one minute
No of observers: 4

Location: Big Bear City, CA, USA

Shape: Oval
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aircraft nearby

The object hovered over the airport then disappeared.

We saw a large object with four large lights and hundreds of small lights. The object was just hovering above the airport. We heard a laud humming sound coming from the object, then it just disappeared.



NUFORC Note:

The date is approximate. PD


Posted 2004-03-17

NUFORC UFO Sighting 101462
Occurred: 1994-07-17 02:00 Local - Approximate
Reported: 2013-08-23 13:14 Pacific
Duration: ~4 seconds


Location: Big Bear Lake, CA, USA

Shape: Triangle
Characteristics: Aura or haze around object, Animals reacted

Dark, absolutley silent, exceptionally fast craft streaks across night sky over San Bernardino Mountains/Desert (CA) [~1994]

I have never reported this officially previously, but have thought over the years that I probably should have, and was not sure quite where or to whom to report, so I selected NUFORC.

From the outset I had the feeling that what I saw was probably an experimental military aircraft of some sort – still a UFO (since it was flying and I couldn't identify it), but not necessarily alien or anything like that. Pre-Apologies for missing some of the details below.

Side note: I am an amateur astronomer, a licensed pilot, former military airborne, and former airline employee (currently a college professor). I have lived and worked around aircraft (and the night sky) for decades. This was nothing like I've ever seen. Here is the story: A regular summer outing for me and my family is to climb up into the mountains northeast of Los Angeles for some quality time together with nature and each other. We were camping at our usual spot (Serrano campground on the north shore of Big Bear Lake) in the San Bernardino mountains of Southern California. One reason I enjoy this site so much is the altitude and clear skies make for some exceptional sky-watching.

After turning in to our tents and sleeping bags one night, everything was quite, when in the middle of the night, about 2am, my two dogs started whimpering. Thinking they just needed 'relief', I grudgingly opened my tent and walked out into a clearing with them. The dogs did not do their usual sniffing around and marking every bush, but instead were acting kind of strange. They both were standing perfectly still and looking up to the same point in the sky, near the eastern horizon. I was puzzled at their behavior and when I followed their gaze up toward the east to try and see what they were staring at -all I saw was a beautiful star-filled sky (no moon). I spent a moment or two enjoying the Milky Way and the stars wondering what had my dogs so captivated and was about to head back to the tent.

Quite suddenly and unexpectedly a dark, triangular shaped object appeared from the east-northeast horizon and travelled at incredible speed from roughly east-northeast to west-southwest. It made not even the slightest sound - absolutely silent - both as it was approaching and as it was receding. It had no lights of any sort, certainly none of the typical aircraft lights I'm very accustomed to (navigation lights, anti-collision strobes, landing lights, etc.). This object was completely blacked-out.

I also distinctly remember that it seemed to be wrapped in some sort of shimmering envelope - kind of like the wavy, transparent mirage you see above hot pavement in the desert. What I thought especially perplexing was that this wavy envelope not only completely surrounded the aircraft – but equidistant was even IN FRONT of the craft - something that seemed highly illogical to me (as opposed to say what one might expect to see with sound waves or disturbed air behind the craft).

There was no contrail/vapor trail, exhaust, or any other trace of its passing. I saw no burners or engine nacelles, no indication of a propulsion mechanism of any kind. Truthfully -I'm not even sure of its exact shape - I only say triangular because in the few seconds I saw it that was the only shape that I related with at the time. That and the slight distortion made by the refractive envelope around the craft made it indistinct.

Since I was already standing at about 7,000' elevation, I estimate the craft was flying at an altitude of approximately 15,000' –about a mile or so above me and perhaps a few miles diagonally north of my position. It seemed to be about the size of a typical commercial/military aircraft (not especially large), though my visual judgment may be substantially in error in this regard –after all it was a dark object on a dark background.

The thing that was most amazing to me about the entire experience was the incredible speed this craft exhibited. This object went in a straight line from horizon to horizon in just a few seconds. Almost as fast as I can swing my head from one side to the other. Unlike any aircraft I’ve ever seen (and I’ve seen many) this thing zipped across the sky at meteoric velocity. Further, I was dumbstruck at the complete lack of sound. No engine noise, no sonic boom, nothing. Not the slightest sound of any kind. And this was in the dead of the night –up in the mountains – on a very calm, quiet evening. Even when out with my telescope (I regularly use a Meade ETX125 outdoors) or binoculars, I frequently see even very high-flying aircraft – which always leave a faint sound signature as they pass. This craft was not very high at all and made not a sound.

My first thought was UFO. But I rapidly changed my mind and am fairly confident (though I have no way of confirming this) that this was in fact some type of experimental or 'black project' craft. My reasons for this are as follows: The sprawling Edwards AFB which is only about 50 miles to the northwest of my position (and China Lake not much further – and Groom Lake in Nevada not all that much further northeast, among others) – are all now all but notorious for their experimental aircraft testing. My proximity and viewing angle that evening put me in prime time/place for making a sighting of one of these aircraft if in fact that is what it was.

Also – having been in the aircraft industry for so long, I was already aware of some of the experimental aircraft discussed in the literature, etc. Lockheed Martin’s “Skunk Works” and Boeing’s “Phantom Works” are all nearby – they have to test these craft somewhere. When I did some research I thought that the closest possible craft looked similar to the TR3B and similar triangular-shaped vehicles speculated to be in testing both then and now. I cannot make a close-enough identification, however, as the craft I saw was highly distorted, and traveling at much too high of a speed to get a very good look at it. It is possible, I admit – that I may be entirely mistaken and saw something else entirely.

In any case, as I stood there in my underwear shaking and stunned (it was also a chilly evening!), my mind raced to compare what I saw to anything in my experience and, well, you've heard the rest. No running or nav lights of any sort, pitch black, surrounded by a weird shimmering envelope, absolutely silent, and by far the fastest moving object I've ever seen - I can't imagine anything moving that quickly from horizon to horizon - and I've seen a lot of airplanes - from strike fighters to commercial and a few odd ones at e.g., the EAA, etc. This was definitely different, and certainly NOT following a whole bunch of the 'rules' I was used to regarding aircraft operations.

So me and my 2 German Shepherds went back to bed in the tent, and the next morning, still shaken, I (hesitatingly) relayed the encounter to a few folks. The response was a collection of strange looks, doubts, sighing-giggles, and a bunch of "sure-whatever”. As may be typical with such observers, I felt such unsympathetic, near-ridicule from my friends and family was all the motivation I needed to keep silent and never mention it again. All I could think of was how transparent such experiences are in revealing what others may think –and I instantly understood why pilots and other professionals are advised to never report or mention anything about such anomalies they may encounter. Like most of them, I suppose, I thus kept silent about it after that.

What changed my mind? I was up at Serrano campground recently and recalled the incident. I was fumbling with a little AM portable radio and stumbled upon Peter Davenport speaking on Coast-to-coast radio show. It seemed just a coincidence, but Mr. Davenport was imploring listeners to file a written report, with lots of emphasis on making a clear, detailed, written report on the UFO Center website. I thought, “OK, Mr. Davenport – you’ll get my report”.

So, my apologies in advance for waiting nearly twenty years to pass this on to someone/somewhere. And, like most aviation and academic professionals, I must admit I am instantly nervous for doing so. Yet, I figure that if all of us always kept silent, then the truth would never be discovered, and that such silence would be of greater detriment to all of us than my silence a potential benefit to me alone.

Thank you and good luck to you and your organization…




NUFORC Note:

Witness indicates that the date of the sighting is approximate. PD


Posted 2013-08-30

NUFORC UFO Sighting 27583
Occurred: 1992-06-25 00:00 Local - Approximate
Reported: 2003-02-07 18:43 Pacific
Duration: 20 minutes
No of observers: 3

Location: Big Bear Lake area, CA, USA

Shape: Changing
Characteristics: Lights on object, Emitted other objects, Changed Color, Landed

jello-y lights, it transformed before our eyes.

can lights seperaate? saw what looked like a bunch of small people carrying lights. well no "people" were seem but the lights were not very high up and moved a little erratically in circle as if people were dancing around holding lights. one brighter light was in the center. it was about 1/2 mi away or so. shined flashlight at it. the "fairy lights" turned off. the big light got brighter and faced us. grew in size. like it was made of hot taffy, the light pulled .part smoothly yet stretchy into two. went to chase and find this craft! it turned off. waited at a clearing to see it. finally it appears, raises off the ground silently, hovers still, groans, and lights turn off and on. grows wings like an airplane and flys away.



NUFORC Note:

Date is approximate. Witness describes self as a teacher. We do not know whether this report is serious, or not. PD


Posted 2003-03-11

NUFORC UFO Sighting 17787
Occurred: 1978-05-01 18:00 Local - Approximate
Reported: 2001-05-25 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 5 minutes
No of observers: 3

Location: Big Bear Lake, CA, USA

Shape: Disk
Characteristics: Aircraft nearby

Disk / cigar object hovering east of Big Bear Lake, CA

The date is approximate. A group of engineers and scientists from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory went to Big Bear Lake for a weekend trip. We had an 8 inch Celestron telescope with a 25 mm eyepiece. We were at a campground west of the lake on a rise. We viewed small aircraft landing at the airport, east of the lake. The sun was behind us and near setting as we watched. The aircraft were landing from south to north, or right to left. With the telescope we could make out the N numbers on the planes. I noticed a few clouds, but the sky was generally clear. The aircraft seemed to be landing in front of a stationary object at some distance to the east. The object was below ten degrees above the horizon. Perhaps four or five planes landed in front of this object, which could have been miles further away. Two other people viewed the object. The object was a long cigar shape. While watching, the object suddenly changed attitude, like a disk tipping and the "cigar" appearance became an oval. It then moved away from us and was gone in under a few seconds. It made the impression of a thin metallic disk, seen in profile as a cigar while stationary, and then being seen more rounded as it tipped away from us. There was no sound, lights, exhaust or other features. There were no lenticular clouds in the area or evidence of inversion layers. The temperature was about 65 degrees and there were very light winds.

Posted 2001-08-05