[D5E4] DE PORGE (LE) (33) VERS SAUMOS (33) 07.10.2021

On 7 October 2021 at 18:00, the sole witness was driving on the D5E4 out of Le Porge toward Saumos. Through the left side window, looking northwest, the witness saw several circular cloud formations. They stopped at the roadside to photograph the UAPs, then continued driving; trees blocked further observation. At Sainte-Hélène at about 18:40, the witness again saw a similar phenomenon, this time to the west and with “3 curved branches.” They photographed it before ending the observation. GEIPAN considers the evidential support good despite a single, delayed account, because several photographs could be analyzed. Under GEIPAN's criteria, evidential support is the quantity of information collected for an account that is considered reliable. The investigation concluded that the UAPs were probably contrails from a military aircraft participating in an exercise in the area. Their appearance in the photographs fits contrails, and their circular shapes fit aerial maneuvers such as loops, typical of military exercises. Volfa 2021 was taking place nearby at the time; see the investigation report. An independent internet user in Arcachon photographed similar formations and identified them as aircraft-made circles. Military officials contacted by email confirmed that the sighting area coincided with the Volfa 2021 exercise area and that the observation was probably connected with it. The specific aircraft could not be identified. The witness contacted GEIPAN several months later, too late to obtain an air-traffic reconstruction from the National Air Operations Centre (CNOA). The only aircraft located in the area through radar tracks from Globe.adsexchange.com were too low to produce contrails like those observed. GEIPAN classifies the case B: very probably condensation trails produced by the propulsion of 1 or more aircraft.