Manlius Syracuse UFO: Football-Field-Sized Disc, Jets Scrambled from Griffiss AFB
In Manlius, New York (suburb of Syracuse), a witness of 'significant public stature' and his friend observed a disc-shaped object 'as large as a football field' hovering over a patch of trees. It had yellow, red, and green lights rotating around its perimeter and made no sound. A light commercial aircraft and a news helicopter were also visible. Two jet fighters, presumably scrambled from Griffiss AFB, flew directly toward the object, which then took off 'like a bullet.' The local news that evening reported 'another boring day in Syracuse.' A second witness confirmed seeing the same object from another location.
Background
1. On May 15, 1980, in Manlius, New York, a witness and his friend observed a large, disc-shaped object hovering over trees. The object, estimated to be the size of a football field, had rotating lights and made no sound. Jets were reportedly scrambled from Griffiss Air Force Base.
The Incident
While driving in Manlius, a suburb of Syracuse, the witness and his friend noticed a disc-shaped object hovering over a patch of trees. The witness described the object as being "right out of a Steven Spielberg movie" and estimated its size to be as large as a football field. The object displayed yellow, red, and green lights rotating rapidly around its perimeter.
The witnesses observed a light commercial aircraft and a news traffic helicopter in the vicinity, leading them to believe others were also witnessing the event. After a minute or two, the witnesses became nervous as the object remained stationary and silent. Two jet fighters then approached the object, presumably scrambled from Griffiss Air Force Base.
Upon the arrival of the jets, the UFO took off "like a bullet" and rapidly disappeared. The witness expected the sighting to be reported on the local news that evening, but it received no coverage. The news announcer even stated it had been "another boring day in Syracuse."
Investigation
The source text does not explicitly mention an official investigation. The witness expected the event to be covered by local news, but it was not. The lack of media coverage suggests a possible suppression of information, though this is not explicitly stated in the source text.
Sometime later, the author spoke to another person who may have seen the same event. The witness was in his mid-teens, living in Syracuse.
Significance
This event is significant due to the size of the reported object, the presence of military jets, and the lack of media coverage. The witness's description of the object as being "as large as a football field" is notable. The reported scrambling of jets from Griffiss Air Force Base suggests a military response to the unidentified object. The absence of any news coverage, despite the presence of a news helicopter, raises questions about potential information suppression. The witness of 'significant public stature' also adds to the credibility of the report.