867

7.45 PM.

Michael Hopkins:

"Upon returning home with the family from late evening shopping at a local supermarket, as I got out of the car I noticed a pair of lights approaching on a flight-path approx 300 yards behind my house. I pointed the lights out to the family then ran into my house to retrieve my works digital camera.

After returning back outside, I took a number of photographs of the objects, but as there was not a night-time setting on the camera, the images indicate some evidence of camera shake. The two objects remained in unwavering formation for the entire time of observation - they could have been a single object - appeared at a very low altitude - I would estimate no higher than 1000 feet.

My location is approx 425 feet above sea level. They moved along their trajectory quite slowly for modern aircraft, and seemed to emit a low whistling sound - similar to a jet engine idling, but very much of a lower frequency. As the craft/s passed directly behind my house [towards the south-west], it was observed that the two undersides seemed to be illuminated with a green tinge which enabled some sort of apparatus and pipework to be seen.

After unloading the shopping from the car I immediately phoned RAF St. Athan to see if they could help in identifying the craft. I was told that as it was a Friday, the radar had been turned off for the weekend, and there were no flights due to land at the base. (RAF St Athan was a repair facility and only needed radar when aircraft were arriving or departing the base. Friday, Saturday and Sunday were classed as the weekend).

I then phoned Rhoose (Cardiff) Airport and got through to the control tower. I was informed that their radar showed no commercial or private aircraft in the Pontypridd vicinity at the time. Because of the jet-like sound I assumed it/they were an RAF aircraft and so decided to contact the MOD, to which I received a reply on 14 October. It appears that they did not read my letter properly."

Source: Michael Hopkins.