Cylinders or cigar-shaped UFOs played a major reporting role in MUFON’s 2011 database as another silent shape popping up randomly across the U.S. In this month’s Part Two, we examine edited witness testimony and, when available, selected field investigator notes, from the second quarter.

The following five cases all occurred one mile or under from the witness as we begin on May 26 in Minnesota.

May 26, 2011 – Sibley County, MN, FB1, Category 1. Case 29340.

“At around 2 p.m. on a cloudless, sunny afternoon in a parking lot we saw clearly a cylinder moving forward and stopping, reversing backwards, then flying forward and disappearing.  It was clearly metallic, without wings or tail. We have never seen a UFO before.  We were amazed.”

Field Investigator: “Witnesses had discussed their sighting in detail and for this reason they were interviewed together. Object was moving across the witnesses’ line of sight at about the speed of a commercial airliner for about a minute, then suddenly stopped and reversed direction, stopped again, and hovered for 5-10 seconds, then resumed forward direction, began to ascend, and accelerated to a speed considerably faster than a commercial airliner and disappeared as a point in the sky.  Both witnesses appear well educated. The military base is 2-3 miles away from the location of the sighting and the witnesses were certain that the object was not a plane or helicopter. Neither witness had prior interest in UFOs.”

May 28, 2011 – Pueblo County, CO, MA1, Category 1. Case 29305.

“At my home in my backyard playing horse shoes, I was walking southwest looking at the distant mountains. Looking up approx 800 to 1,000 feet flying southwest to northeast in a straight line, it moved without noise, first hovering, then moving out of sight within 45 seconds to a minute. A very eerie sight. Rotated at its center while hovering when I first observed it, it shown a white beam like light two or three times. Watched it pass directly over my house. I ran into the bottom back door, up the stairs and yelled at my wife to follow me outside through the front door. She did and by the time I pointed to where it was, it was already at the horizon of a ridge approximately one mile away. My wife saw it as it disappeared over the ridge. The object at first appeared as a cylinder shape, round on top and squared at the bottom (honestly it really reminded me of R2D2 in appearance). It was able to and did rotate at its center. There were what looked like two single extensions at its base when I first saw it. I later thought they may have been landing gear. But as it passed over, the extensions were no longer visible. The object was almost translucent in its appearance, kind of darker at the top and clear at its bottom half. I am a registered nurse, 59 years old and an Air Force vet. I am familiar with all sorts of odd looking craft being stationed Holloman AFB for the last two years of my enlistment. I think the oddest thing of the entire experience was that there was absolutely no noise made by this craft. In fact, for just a moment as it passed over head, I thought it may have been some sort of weather balloon, however, it had structure, was solid and very multi-dimensional in its character. It had left me astounded, dumbfounded and wondering if it was something my mind made up. But my wife saw it as well. A very out of this world experience. “

Field Investigators: “Witness walked us around property to where he was when noticed object. Note: Witness was in backyard playing horseshoes. Witness was facing in the direction of object when noticed it.  Stated it just seemed to appear and had a shimmering effect above it and what appeared to be landing posts under it. Witness states object never touched down, kind of hovered with what appeared to be a rotating center, then had a white beam appear two or three times on the ground. Witness stated he felt like or got the impression that it was looking for something – used word ‘purposeful’. Witness states was feeling apprehensive, embarrassed, confused, very tense.  Stated if had not ran in and gotten wife to come out front of house to see it moving away, would have questioned if he actually experienced it and would probably not have reported the incident.  Witness had drawing as requested of what he saw, which has been attached. Showed witness computer generated forensic composite illustrations based from actual CUFOS/MUFON/APRO and UFO evidence case files/chose # 24 & 36 as closest to what he observed. June 20, 2011, contacted Ft. Carson Public Affairs, questioned any experimental aircraft research going on in area.  Response:  No – stated home of 10th SFG(A) Airborne/helicopters, which is for unconventional warfare-special reconnaissance and foreign internal defense missions. Stated most training/military maneuvers done at Pinon Canyon. No other information obtained. June 30, 2011, it is the opinion of this investigator along with co-investigator that this was not a weather balloon or manmade object based on description provided.”

June 22, 2011 – Shawnee County, KS, AN1, Category 1. Case 29688.

“My wife and I were outside standing on the porch when I noticed from the southeast a strange, shining object. I said to my wife, ‘would you look at this, it’s weird.’ There’s no sound at all and no fuel trail lines in the sky behind it like a plane. I think it’s a UFO. She tried to take a picture with her camera phone, but couldn’t get it in frame. My neighbors were trying to figure out what we were seeing right in front of us in broad daylight!! It was moving pretty slow, so my neighbor went in her home and retrieved her binoculars. It was shaped like a short, fat missile with two large, circular lights beneath it. We watched it travel from east to west until it was no longer visible. About five minutes later it returned heading from the east to west. Today (June 23, 2011, about 3:10 p.m. )we witnessed three or more military choppers flying the same directions as if they were tracking something in the air. They flew back and forth for about 45 minutes.”

June 28, 2011 – La Porte County, IN, FB1, Category 1. Case 29801.

“We were in a parking lot on Pine Lake Road in LaPorte, IN.  I noticed a silver ‘plane’ flying to the west, but when I looked at it, there was no tail and no wings, although there did seem to be dark, vertically rectangular areas in the middle near where wings would be. It was flying low, at a descent altitude for planes, but flying horizontally, also much slower than a plane would appear to be moving at that altitude.  I was staring at it, trying to make out wings because I thought they had to be there. There was definitely nothing where the tail should be. We were looking at it from the side. I didn’t say anything to my husband because I felt silly, but a few seconds after I noticed it he said, ‘What is that thing?’.  Neither one of us had ever seen anything like it before. We watched it for a couple of minutes until it was small in the distance to the west. It was much too slender to be a blimp. I still think there must be some explanation that doesn’t involve aliens, but I sure can’t think of one.”

Field Investigator: “This report is very similar in description and time as that of report #29773. Occurrence was just about a half-hour earlier. I called the witness of the La Porte sighting on July 1, 2011. She and her husband’s sighting occurred about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, June 28th. She said the apparent size was that of golf ball and the elevation was 60 degrees. The actual size is very difficult to determine and can only be approximately estimated. The witness believed it was at a low altitude, which if the case would put its actual length in the 32-100 foot category. There was some apparent structure on the object in the middle. Other than a first time sighting and the excitement of it there were no other unusual occurrences associated with this event.  Couple with the other events noted in the above referenced report it would indicate this was a UAV event. “

June 30, 2011 – Hartford County, CT, AN1, Category 1. Case 29935.

“This evening at approximately 8:01 p.m., I was sitting in the TV room with my wife; I mentioned I heard a band playing. She mentioned that’s probably the celebration for the completion of the world’s tallest sand castle at Winding Trails. As I stepped out the back door to identify the tune being played (looking west), I looked up and noticed a large cloud formation in the midst of the beautiful blue sky. The sun was setting, so it was crystal clear around this one large cloud, with the exception of a few smaller dissipating clouds. The sun had been setting so the sky was blue around and behind the clouds (west). I then noticed to my upper right (north / northwest), a shiny, silver cylindrical fuselage, ‘bullet-shaped craft’. As the sky was perfectly clear, this thing was traveling from the north side of my house towards the west approaching the cloud. At first I asked myself, ‘Is this a plane?’ I felt it was something different. Then I noticed it had no wings or tail. It had what looked like two small fins with two white, short air streaks following (less than half the size of the craft). This was coming off the fins (not a contrail). I also noticed it was silent, no sound, no engine was heard. We have much traffic from Bradley Airport and you can hear jet engines or prop engines readily at even higher altitudes. The craft seemed to be traveling in an arc toward this (cloud) destination. Now as it went into the cloud, I wanted to verify this was not a plane, as well as observe it further. As the trees seemed to be blocking this view, I quickly ran through the house to the front of the house to our driveway. I was viewing the cloud and sure enough no objects came out the back end. Since I could see this thing clearly, I believe it was traveling very slow – perhaps 100 to 200 mph. It seemed to glide upward toward the cloud. Upon looking at the cloud, to see where it might be, I then noticed it was becoming stationary near a small cloud. As the cloud drifted, it seemed to go with it in our direction. It was now over our home. I looked up right under this thing. It had a haze around it and seemed semi-transparent. While looking under it – still at cloud level it – had one red light (blinking) directly in the middle of the craft. As it hovered over my home, it then blinked once, then twice, and disappeared. It was something to watch. After checking cloud ceiling levels from New Britian weather channel, they were reported at 4,900 feet. The distance to the object was walked off and calculated to a distance of 6,169 feet. The object was initially in a cloud bank directly over the park event which was located at 3,748 feet. On a conservative calculation, using the cloud levels (weather.com), the distance to the event over which it was stationed (once at my home) and (just one-half mile away over the outdoor event), the craft size would be approximately between 100 to 150 feet long. It had what looked like a black streak down the middle of the craft’s length and what looked like windows. I hereby allow MUFON to study this case to see if similar cases have been reported. I heard Channel 8 news captured a few unidentified crafts in the storm clouds last week.”

Field Investigator: “[Weather: 56 deg.; barom, 29.89 rising ; wind: W;  visibility: 10 mi., WNW, 5.8 mph]

Witness viewed a cylindrical object that moved, hovered, appeared as in a haze, went into a cloud. Not sure if it was a plane; seemed semi-transparent. He drew and sent FI elaborate and detailed drawings (said he drew pictures of planes, etc. when a child). Not drinking, no drugs; on a diet. Drawings show lots of detail – uncertain how this can be viewed from one mile or so in distance. Enthusiasm of witness was noticeable. Trees blocked his view ; Bradley airport traffic is often in area. Witness gave estimates of height and distance, and size of object. Behavior of object did not seem to be that of a plane/jet. Unusual shape, colors. Uncertain if an IFO – man-made. Not a plane or helicopter as such. Summary: Unknown UAV.”