Hathersage,
Derbyshire,
04.10.2009
Name: Steve
Date: 4/10/09--time approx 14.00-15.00
Location: See box below
Message: I'm a member of a radio control gliding club. I've had an interest in aircraft since I can remember (I'm 46) and therefore pretty much know what most aircraft look like (night and day). Once upon a time I was also in the Air Cadets. Today was another normal gliding day with a few friends at our usual slope soaring spot in Derbyshire-we frequently see light aircraft, pleasure flights with helis, even get the occasional Battle of Britain aircraft fly up Derwent valley (We can see Hathersage from where we fly).We also get birds of prey fly with us; they don't get too near, and can easily fly away when they get bored! We can also see civil aircraft making their approaches to Manchester from where we stand--it is quite a spectacular view on a clear day. Today's weather (because of the geography) was a typical late summer/autumn one, beautiful blue sky, rolling clouds over the distant hills changing to even clearer skies or overcast and rain within 30 minutes! (You get good at weather forecasting!). Anyway..slope soaring involves launching a radio control glider into the prevailing wind (in our case westerly) and finding thermals or just ride the breeze until ready to land.. As such, we on this slope, face west although of course the glider can fly in all directions in front of us.
I was flying my glider (elevation of where we stand is 1250 feet ASL) on google earth 53 20' 21.37'' N... 1 37 20.46'' W. The glider was approximatly one hundred yards in front and slightly to my right when I spotted something that because it was so unusual I made a point of concentrating on it's shape, size and colour. The sky where I saw it was bright blue, it was under a small grey cloud and there were high white/grey clouds in all directions, although because of the sun being to our south south west it was not dark. The object shape was acorn, with the 'fruit' uppermost. Slightly squatter, slightly rounder, and less of a ridge between fruit and shell (but that of course could be light). Colour. bright blue/silver upper (light reflecting on it's left front quarter. Base: darker, probably in shadow so impossible to be sure if it was same as top. Size.. Difficult..I'm guessing (as I was holding a transmitter to control the glider!) but at arms length it would be 3-5mm in diameter.Now.. on google earth the closest direction relative to me I can asscertain is on or around the summit of Kinder Scout 53 23' 09.41'' N 1 52 04.76'' This is the direction..it unfortunatly doesn't give an indictaion of it's distance and therefore it's true size.. I would suggest though because of the lay of the land it was unlikely to be much further than Kinder Scout, but don't take that as fact! I'm sorry my timings are very vague, but I didn't think to look at my watch--fool!
As I was only flying a bouncy glider (don't ask!) I landed it as I called out to ask one of my friends (who had brought his camera with 400mm lens) to see if he could see what I could. As I took my eye away from the acorn to watch my glider land, and turn back (Three seconds at most) it had gone. naturally by the time my friend had responded he couldn't see anything.
I'm sorry about the vagueries, but I know what I saw was not a conventional aircraft--Incidentally, we also frequently see para gliders, hang gliders who share our airspace so we know what they look like..but they don't usually vanish!! Please get back to me if there's anything I may have missed.
Steve
Rather than sketch it, I thought I'd use an existing photo taken last January and superimposing a representation of what I saw using photoshop. It's more accurate than my drawing! But please note, (before you get calls of FAKE!), that this is only a facsimile. Naturally there was no snow on the ground yesterday! The spot I've chosen in the sky is where it would have looked from the point of the camera..naturally from the perspective I was stood, it looked more northerly (Photo is looking west). I hope this is useful. Click these words to see.
Name: Steve
Date: 4/10/09--time approx 14.00-15.00
Location: See box below
Message: I'm a member of a radio control gliding club. I've had an interest in aircraft since I can remember (I'm 46) and therefore pretty much know what most aircraft look like (night and day). Once upon a time I was also in the Air Cadets. Today was another normal gliding day with a few friends at our usual slope soaring spot in Derbyshire-we frequently see light aircraft, pleasure flights with helis, even get the occasional Battle of Britain aircraft fly up Derwent valley (We can see Hathersage from where we fly).We also get birds of prey fly with us; they don't get too near, and can easily fly away when they get bored! We can also see civil aircraft making their approaches to Manchester from where we stand--it is quite a spectacular view on a clear day. Today's weather (because of the geography) was a typical late summer/autumn one, beautiful blue sky, rolling clouds over the distant hills changing to even clearer skies or overcast and rain within 30 minutes! (You get good at weather forecasting!). Anyway..slope soaring involves launching a radio control glider into the prevailing wind (in our case westerly) and finding thermals or just ride the breeze until ready to land.. As such, we on this slope, face west although of course the glider can fly in all directions in front of us.
I was flying my glider (elevation of where we stand is 1250 feet ASL) on google earth 53 20' 21.37'' N... 1 37 20.46'' W. The glider was approximatly one hundred yards in front and slightly to my right when I spotted something that because it was so unusual I made a point of concentrating on it's shape, size and colour. The sky where I saw it was bright blue, it was under a small grey cloud and there were high white/grey clouds in all directions, although because of the sun being to our south south west it was not dark. The object shape was acorn, with the 'fruit' uppermost. Slightly squatter, slightly rounder, and less of a ridge between fruit and shell (but that of course could be light). Colour. bright blue/silver upper (light reflecting on it's left front quarter. Base: darker, probably in shadow so impossible to be sure if it was same as top. Size.. Difficult..I'm guessing (as I was holding a transmitter to control the glider!) but at arms length it would be 3-5mm in diameter.Now.. on google earth the closest direction relative to me I can asscertain is on or around the summit of Kinder Scout 53 23' 09.41'' N 1 52 04.76'' This is the direction..it unfortunatly doesn't give an indictaion of it's distance and therefore it's true size.. I would suggest though because of the lay of the land it was unlikely to be much further than Kinder Scout, but don't take that as fact! I'm sorry my timings are very vague, but I didn't think to look at my watch--fool!
As I was only flying a bouncy glider (don't ask!) I landed it as I called out to ask one of my friends (who had brought his camera with 400mm lens) to see if he could see what I could. As I took my eye away from the acorn to watch my glider land, and turn back (Three seconds at most) it had gone. naturally by the time my friend had responded he couldn't see anything.
I'm sorry about the vagueries, but I know what I saw was not a conventional aircraft--Incidentally, we also frequently see para gliders, hang gliders who share our airspace so we know what they look like..but they don't usually vanish!! Please get back to me if there's anything I may have missed.
Steve
Rather than sketch it, I thought I'd use an existing photo taken last January and superimposing a representation of what I saw using photoshop. It's more accurate than my drawing! But please note, (before you get calls of FAKE!), that this is only a facsimile. Naturally there was no snow on the ground yesterday! The spot I've chosen in the sky is where it would have looked from the point of the camera..naturally from the perspective I was stood, it looked more northerly (Photo is looking west). I hope this is useful. Click these words to see.
