Witness statement:
I am an Aircraft Engineer with a life long interest in aircraft and at the time that this
sighting happened I was in the RAF, based at Lyneham. I was returning from a walk
with my wife and children on a bright, clear Spring day. We all saw a V shaped
formation of 9 objects just below Airway Golf 1, flying West at an estimated height of
15,000 ft. at what seemed to be airway speed (200 knots).
There was no sound that we heard. They were a silver-grey colour and in a fairly tight formation.
Over Marshfield Downs the formation appeared to climb about 5,000 ft. as the objects
detached individually to climb in a spiral. As they climbed there were noticeable
flashes of reflected light from the outer wing surfaces.
On reaching the new height theV formation was resumed, and the formation continued on a westerly heading at the same speed, eventually fading from view.
Checks with Lulsgate radar and Lyneham Ops produced no reported formations,
either RAF or USAF.
It was a weekend so large formations were unlikely in UK. It did occur to me at that time that it might have been a USAF formation, but on reflection ruled this possibility out as by this time Squadron rotations were becoming rare, as were formation flights.
