Teardrop over Glendale, CA

The report, as filed

Location of sighting: 700 block of E. Cedar Ave., Burbank, CA, looking south. Both witnesses, male and female, in their early 60s, rational, well educated, and with good vision. Both saw the event in the exact same manner. The female is a former single engine pilot and wrote this report. Weather, per weather service, at time of sighting: Clear, visibility 10 mi.; Temp 68F; Wind, calm; Barometer, 30.03in. I was saying goodbye to my friend out in my patio when he said, "What's the hell is that?" I turned and looked at where he was pointing and at about 1500 ft. altitude over Glendale, about two miles to the south of where we were standing, we saw two teardrop shaped craft. They looked like red flames with dark yellow center. They were hovering for approximately two to three minutes then one of them started to move upward and south. The red light started to change intensity as it traveled, then it suddenly picked up speed, still heading south on an upward trajectory and within 30 seconds of acceleration, suddenly disappeared. The second craft had remained in its original position, and continued to hover and was bright red with yellow center. After the other craft disappeared, it started to head north towards us maintaining the same altitude. Movement caused its lights to vary in intensity just as it had the other. It continued north for about a minute, then rapidly reversed direction, increasing speed, then started an upward trajectory as the lights became more dim then suddenly, at an altitude where it would still have been easily visible, it disappeared; like someone turned a light switch off. There were no other aircraft in the vicinity during or within an hour before this event. There have been none since, and it is now 45 min. past the event. I have all manner of aircraft flying over, around, and nearby my location. I am well acquainted with the different sounds and know how far away they can be heard. I am also a former pilot. At a distance where any known aircraft would have been easily and loudly recognizable, THESE OBJECTS WERE SOUNDLESS. They were shaped distinctly like a teardrop, with the pointed end facing earth. They looked like traveling "red candle flames", with a yellow center. This sighting is remarkable for, 1) soundless craft, 2) rapid in-line change of direction, 3) rapid acceleration from hovering, 4) complete disappearance in an instant, 5) shape of craft inconsistent with known aircraft, 6) colored light completely surrounding the craft, 7) variation in intensity of lights between hover and movement (light grew brighter when it hovered or slowed). This report was also phoned in. (near end of conversation, call became disrupted then suddenly dropped) We spoke via telephone with the witness, and she seemed to us to be quite sober-minded and eloquent. We suspect she is an excellent, and reliable, witness. PD

Held as-reported from National UFO Reporting Center (record NUFORC #115659). Witness text is preserved verbatim, including its spelling; nothing is edited beyond formatting.