2016 Wales UFO Sighting
The 2016 Wales UFO Sighting, also known as the St Athan UFO Incident, remains a fascinating and enigmatic event in the realm of UFOlogy. On September 17, 2016, a police helicopter crew captured an unidentified flying object traveling at an estimated speed of 106 mph near St Athan in Wales. The object was invisible to the naked eye but was clearly visible on the helicopter’s FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) thermal camera.
The event occurred at approximately 9 pm when the National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopter was flying over the Bristol Channel. The crew was testing their FLIR thermal camera by pointing it at planes heading into Cardiff Airport when they unexpectedly detected an anomalous object. The unidentified flying object was moving against the wind at an altitude of around 1,000 feet, making it an unusual sighting. The encounter with the UFO lasted for about eight minutes, during which the police crew attempted to identify the object by changing the camera’s settings.
Gary Heseltine, a former police officer turned UFO investigator, played a significant role in bringing this incident to the public’s attention. After learning about the sighting, he filed a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to obtain the full video and additional information. Although Heseltine was provided with the complete video, the FOI response did not include audio recordings from inside the police helicopter or a map of the object’s movements.
Heseltine has since voiced his opinion on the footage, claiming that the object’s invisibility to the naked eye, movement against the wind, and lack of heat signature indicative of a propulsion system make it a significant piece of evidence in UFOlogy. His efforts to get answers from the government about the incident have been met with resistance, leading to further speculation and intrigue.
NPAS South West, responsible for the helicopter involved in the sighting, has made several statements on the matter. In a tweet, they mentioned that the object was not detected by local air traffic control and was described as “hot” as it traveled against the wind. This information ruled out the possibility of the object being a balloon or lantern. In another tweet in 2019, NPAS South West suggested that a drone was a possible explanation, but the drone would have to be extremely fast since the helicopter could not keep up with it.
The 2016 Wales UFO Sighting has also drawn comparisons to other high-profile UFO incidents, such as the US military encounters with unidentified aerial phenomena. These similarities have fueled discussions on whether this sighting could be part of a larger pattern of unexplained aerial encounters, potentially hinting at advanced technology or extraterrestrial visitation.
