Gendarmes observe silent objects in Pas-de-Calais

Summary

In the early hours of 17–18 July 1990 a gendarme patrol and other witnesses in the Pas-de-Calais department saw ten to thirteen silent objects with flashing lights crossing the sky. One observer described a comet-like shape, though it may have been confused with a glider. The sighting coincided with the start of the Tour de France aérien des jeunes pilotes, which may have caused confusion. However, the witnesses did not recognise conventional aircraft, and GEIPAN classified the case as B: credible observation with no conclusive explanation.