Col. Marcel Smoleanu

Retired Colonel Marcel Smoleanu is a Romanian military aviator known for his involvement in a significant UFO encounter. As deputy chairman of the Buzau branch of the veteran pilots association ARPIA, he led a helicopter training flight around 22:00 one evening. During the mission, which involved unarmed helicopters each with a pilot, second pilot, and technician, Smoleanu observed a huge bright red sphere, approximately 20 meters in diameter, approaching from the left. The object flew silently in parallel with the helicopters, exhibiting no color change, flicker, noise, or smoke trail. This sighting occurred amid radar detections and communication interferences reported by other military personnel, including retired General Emil Strainu, highlighting a notable Romanian UFO case documented in local research.