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civilian-claim2007· Channel Islands / Alderney airspace

On April 23, 2007, Aurigny Airlines captain Ray Bowyer, en route from Southampton to Alderney over the Channel Islands, observed two stationary bright yellow objects stretching what he estimated at roughly a mile in width at 40 miles' distance. A second aircraft from Blue Islands Airlines independently reported the same objects from a different approach vector. Jersey Airport radar recorded faint primary contacts for 55 minutes.

Bowyer filed an official CAA near-miss report. The MoD declined to investigate, stating the incident occurred over French airspace. The Times described Bowyer's testimony as 'one of the most impressive and perplexing' in MoD files. A local astronomer proposed sun dogs as an explanation, noting weather conditions were suitable for ice-crystal refraction at an angle consistent with the observed geometry.

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