Late August:

Contrary to claims and reports on many UFO-related websites, it seems that there is anything but a lack of UFO sightings. 

Over July and August APRA has received 2-3 reports per week from across various parts of southern Britain; the common factor of the sightings has been yellow/amber/orange lights in formations or processions at night.  Some reports have suggested anything over 50 lights/objects flying in a procession over many 10s of minutes; while some reports indicate fixed formations, which sometimes change formation.

It is looking increasingly likely that many, if not all of these sightings are of fire-balloons being launched at various parties or discos etc.  Some reports clearly indicate that the light is yellow/orange and flickering, which certainly suggests a flame heating and possibly illuminating a small hand-launched balloon. 

One witness did subsequently confirm that fire-balloons were being 'flown' from a nearby outdoor event.

Sunday 20th February 2005 - Many Similar UFO Reports on a Bright Winter's Morning

M4, Reading, Berkshire - 0948:

"I noticed a bright light, small but very intense, travelling very rapidly across my path. It appeared to come from over my left shoulder, and was heading slightly to the right of where the car was pointing (i.e. approx north westerly direction).

It appeared to be about 100-200ft up. There was no detectable noise, and no sign of any kind of a craft from which the light was emanating. I can best describe it as the exhaust from a jet engine, but with no visible aircraft attached. The colour, very intense is best described as turquoise.

The sighting lasted for a few seconds, and then the light disappeared into the distance."

Benson, Oxfordshire - 0955:

"My girlfriend saw a bright blue ‘shooting star’ travelling from very quickly in a northerly direction. Object appeared large (was not a pinpoint) and left a trail/steak behind as it flew (but not a smoke trail.)"

Carterton, Oxfordshire - 0955:

"I had just left my house to walk the dog and whilst looking North West I saw what at first looked like a bright green flare. That is how bright the light was, but it appeared to be a long way off in the distance and travelled horizontally and low across the bright blue horizon very quickly and with some acceleration with a short trail behind it. I am 43 years old and as far as I am aware, sane, with 23 years experience as an ex RAF aircraft engineer, ex FAA private pilot and CAA licensed engineer with over 5000 hours of flying experience and I have never seen anything like what I saw this morning. I heard no sound from the 'object' and stood looking in awe at the sky after it disappeared waiting for a loud bang or something, but nothing. The sighting lasted probably no more than 2 seconds."

Also from Sandbach, Cheshire - 0950:

"I saw a small flash to my left in the sky, it seemed to be bullet shaped, it had a trail of bright green. It was only seen for a couple of seconds. [It] seemed to travel faster than a plane, horizontal flight path. No vapour trail not seen anything like it before. I was facing west, object travelled south to west. Sky blue, little cloud, object would have been a few thousand feet up. I was looking over house/treetops not straight up."