Portugal OTA Air Base: Two Military Trainers Encounter UFO
A Portuguese lieutenant flying a DHC-1 trainer from OTA Air Base sees a small shiny object near the ground at 10:50 AM. Ten minutes later, a second trainer crew sees the same object emitting red and green light. The object circles between the two aircraft for about 10 minutes, enabling a size estimate of 6-7 feet diameter, then makes a pass at the first plane and speeds away.
Background
1. On November 2, 1982, two Portuguese military trainers encountered a UFO near OTA Air Base. The incident involved visual sightings by two separate crews within a short timeframe, suggesting a structured event.
The Incident
A Portuguese lieutenant piloting a DHC-1 trainer departing from OTA Air Base observed a small, shiny object close to the ground at 10:50 AM. Approximately ten minutes later, a second trainer crew spotted the same object. This second crew reported that the object was emitting red and green light.
The object reportedly circled between the two aircraft for about ten minutes. This close proximity allowed for an estimation of the object's size, though the exact estimation is not provided in the source text.
Investigation
The source text does not provide information about any official investigation into the OTA Air Base incident. It is unknown whether the Portuguese military conducted any formal inquiry or released any public statements regarding the encounter.
However, the source text does mention other UFO sightings over the water in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean around the same time. In July, a British Airways Tri-Star on a return flight from Portugal was involved in an incident which led to the scrambling of fighter jets to chase four objects – two of which were round and brilliant white, two of which were cigar-shaped – 18 miles north of Faro, at the southern coast of Portugal. The captain reported the sighting to air traffic controllers at Lisbon and Heathrow. Fighters were scrambled from Lisbon. Another Tri-Star crew on the same flight path reported a bright UFO between Fatima and Faro.
Significance
The OTA Air Base encounter, while lacking detailed information, contributes to a broader pattern of reported UFO activity in the region during this period. The proximity of the object to military aircraft and the multiple crew sightings add weight to the credibility of the event.
The source text also highlights a period of increased openness regarding UFOs in Spain following the death of Francisco Franco. This context suggests a potential shift in attitudes towards acknowledging and investigating such phenomena, even if the Portuguese incident itself remained unaddressed publicly. The British Airways Tri-Star incident and the Spanish Air Force declassification effort in 1992 further suggest a growing interest in understanding and documenting UFO sightings within the military and aviation communities.