[D57] DE DAGLAN (24) VERS VITRAC (24) 20.09.2024

On Friday 20 September 2024 between 05:50 and 06:10, a female motorist travelling from Saint-Pompon/Daglan toward Vitrac (24) saw an unusually bright flashing white point in the still-dark sky, much brighter than a star. It briefly flared like a Japanese lantern or hot-air-balloon burner, then resumed flashing. She stopped at Saint-Cybranet to record video and made another on reaching her workplace car park. A colleague also saw it and suggested a hot-air balloon. She doubted that because balloons generally do not fly at night. She watched intermittently while driving for about 20 minutes, estimating a west-northwest direction, 45° elevation and no movement throughout. GEIPAN finds good evidential substance*: detailed description, prolonged observation and four supplied videos (see witness videos). It identifies a hot-air balloon: - CAPCODA radar reconstruction confirms balloon F-HFBM in the area at the observation times. - Video 20240920_060951.mp4 shows the burner flame heating the envelope air to provide lift. - No sound was heard; slow motion explains apparent immobility. - Balloons typically fly early morning or late afternoon to avoid thermal currents and obtain stable air. Classification A: hot-air balloon. *Evidential substance is information collected for an account considered reliable and objectively substantiated.