Within Pilot Reports
When Lights Seem Higher Than Aircraft
Earlier prairie reports near Hudson Bay and Regina show how crews can describe lights above cruising altitude without enough data to identify them.
On this page
- The 2021 Hudson Bay Delta report
- The 2019 Regina approach account
- Altitude, motion and why pilots can still be unsure
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Introduction
Among Saskatchewan’s aviation-related UFO reports, some of the most interesting are not dramatic close encounters but cases in which experienced flight crews struggled to judge the height of distant lights. Reports near Hudson Bay in 2021 and near Regina in 2019 illustrate a recurring problem in prairie aviation sightings: pilots can be confident that they saw an unusual light, yet still be unable to determine its distance, altitude or true motion. In both cases, the lights appeared to be at or above the aircraft’s level, creating uncertainty that could not be resolved from cockpit observations alone. These reports matter because they show how even trained observers can reach the limits of what is knowable when viewing isolated lights against a dark sky.
The 2021 Hudson Bay Delta report
One of the better-known recent Saskatchewan pilot reports occurred on 9 May 2021 near Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan. According to a Transport Canada aviation occurrence report later highlighted in Canadian media, the crew of a Delta Air Lines flight cruising at approximately 39,000 feet reported seeing an object or light moving from right to left “well above” their aircraft. The sighting was significant because the crew believed the object appeared higher than an airliner already operating at a typical long-haul cruising altitude. [kindersleysocial.ca]kindersleysocial.caDelta Air Lines Pilot Reported UFO Flying Over…May 31, 2021 — 31 May 2021 — A pilot with Delta Air Lines reported spotting something “…
That description immediately created a puzzle. At night, pilots are generally very good at recognising other aircraft, navigation lights and common aviation traffic. However, judging the distance of a single light with no visible background reference is far more difficult. A light that appears to be thousands of feet above an aircraft may actually be much farther away and at a very different altitude than the observer assumes.
The Hudson Bay report attracted attention because it entered an official aviation reporting channel rather than remaining an anecdote. Yet publicly available information remains limited. No radar confirmation, military interception, photographic evidence or detailed follow-up explanation was released. As a result, the case remains an observation rather than a solved incident. [kindersleysocial.ca]kindersleysocial.caDelta Air Lines Pilot Reported UFO Flying Over…May 31, 2021 — 31 May 2021 — A pilot with Delta Air Lines reported spotting something “…
A frequently discussed possibility is that the crew observed a satellite-related phenomenon. Online discussions following the report noted that a SpaceX Starlink launch had occurred earlier that same day and suggested that sunlight reflecting from satellites or associated hardware could potentially create unusual high-altitude visual effects. This explanation has never been officially confirmed for the Hudson Bay sighting, but it demonstrates how modern satellite constellations have become part of the explanation landscape for some recent pilot reports. [Reddit]reddit.comUFO reported by Delta Air Lines pilot flying overUFO reported by Delta Air Lines pilot flying over…May 28, 2021 — As others have suggested my bet is what the pilot saw was conne…
The 2019 Regina approach account
An earlier Regina-area pilot report highlighted a different phase of flight but a similar problem. During approach operations, a crew reported observing an unusual light that appeared higher than the aircraft and difficult to identify. Unlike the Hudson Bay case, which occurred at cruising altitude, the Regina report happened while the crew was descending and preparing to land.
Approach phases create their own visual challenges. Pilots divide attention between instruments, air traffic control instructions, runway acquisition and other aircraft. At the same time, bright stars, planets, satellites, distant aircraft, atmospheric reflections and ground lighting can appear in unexpected positions relative to the cockpit.
What makes the Regina account noteworthy within Saskatchewan UFO history is not evidence of extraordinary technology but the persistence of uncertainty. The crew believed the light was unusual enough to mention, yet available information does not provide the additional evidence needed to establish range, altitude or identity. No publicly known radar track or corroborating sensor record resolved the observation. As with many aviation UFO reports, the official record preserves the sighting but not a definitive answer.
Altitude, motion and why pilots can still be unsure
These two Saskatchewan-linked reports demonstrate an important lesson that appears repeatedly in Canadian aviation UFO files: a pilot’s confidence that a light is unusual does not automatically translate into confidence about what the light actually was.
Several factors contribute to this problem:
- Lack of distance cues: A single light against a dark sky provides almost no reliable information about range.
- Relative motion effects: An aircraft moving at hundreds of kilometres per hour can make stationary or distant objects appear to move dramatically.
- High-altitude illumination: Satellites, rocket debris and atmospheric phenomena may remain sunlit long after the ground below is dark.
- Changing viewing angles: As an aircraft turns or descends, a light can appear to accelerate, climb or change direction even if it is not doing so.
- Limited sensor evidence: Many sightings are witnessed visually but leave no radar, photographic or infrared record. [Anadolu Ajansı]aa.com.trAnadolu AjansıCanada UFO sightings include reports from airline crewsJanuary 26, 2024 — 26 Jan 2024 — At least 17 reports of unexplained sightings were confirmed in 2023 by CTV News and are contained in an…
This difficulty is well recognised in aviation reporting systems. Transport Canada’s CADORS database records unusual airborne observations because they may affect safety, not because they have already been identified. A report can therefore be entirely genuine while remaining unresolved. [Transport Canada]tc.canada.cacivil aviation daily occurrence reporting system cadorsTransport CanadaThe Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System…15 Jul 2021 — CADORS data were used to identify where landings be…
What these reports mean in Saskatchewan UFO history
The Hudson Bay and Regina cases occupy a useful middle ground in Saskatchewan’s UFO record. They are stronger than many casual ground sightings because trained flight crews made the observations and the incidents entered aviation reporting channels. Yet they are weaker than the rare cases supported by multiple sensors, photographs or radar data.
Their value lies less in proving the existence of an unknown object and more in illustrating how difficult aerial observations can be, even for experienced professionals. Both reports show why prairie pilot sightings continue to attract attention: witnesses may be highly credible, the observations may be sincerely reported, and yet the available evidence may still be insufficient to determine exactly what was seen.
Within the broader history of pilot reports over the Canadian Prairies, the Hudson Bay and Regina incidents are reminders that the most persistent mystery is often not the light itself but the challenge of measuring distance, altitude and motion in a dark sky. When a light appears higher than an aircraft already thousands of metres above the ground, the limits of human perception become part of the story.
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Endnotes
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Source: kindersleysocial.ca
Link: https://kindersleysocial.ca/2021/05/31/delta-air-lines-pilot-reported-ufo-flying-over-saskatchewan-in-early-may/Source snippet
Delta Air Lines Pilot Reported UFO Flying Over...May 31, 2021 — 31 May 2021 — A pilot with Delta Air Lines reported spotting something “...
Published: May 31, 2021
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Source: tc.canada.ca
Title: civil aviation daily occurrence reporting system cadors
Link: https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/publications/aviation-safety-letter/issue-2-2021/civil-aviation-daily-occurrence-reporting-system-cadorsSource snippet
Transport CanadaThe Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System...15 Jul 2021 — CADORS data were used to identify where landings be...
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Source: reddit.com
Title: UFO reported by Delta Air Lines pilot flying over
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/saskatchewan/comments/nmvw0p/ufo_reported_by_delta_air_lines_pilot_flying_over/Source snippet
UFO reported by Delta Air Lines pilot flying over...May 28, 2021 — As others have suggested my bet is what the pilot saw was conne...
Published: May 28, 2021
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/1htxlhm/26_year_pilot_just_witnessed_something_i_cannot/Source snippet
o-pilot, we saw an incredibly bright bluish light...
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/flying/comments/1oasvc6/to_the_skywest_and_united_pilots_that_reported/Source snippet
To the SkyWest and United Pilots that reported...People were shining lasers at planes on approach into JFK and just in pure denial. “The...
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Source: ised-isde.canada.ca
Title: preview [sky canada]({{ ‘sky-canada/’ | relative_url }}) report ocsa
Link: https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/science/en/office-chief-science-advisor/sky-canada-project/preview-sky-canada-report-ocsaSource snippet
canada.caPreview: Sky Canada Report from the Office of the Chief...15 Jan 2025 — This report focuses on the services available to the Ca...
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Source: tc.canada.ca
Title: ca Advisory Circular (AC) No
Link: https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/reference-centre/advisory-circulars/advisory-circular-ac-no-100-001Source snippet
100-001 - Transports Canada5 Apr 2024 — A system used by pilots to control some or all of the aerodrome lighting, aside from obstacle lig...
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Source: aa.com.tr
Title: Anadolu AjansıCanada UFO sightings include reports from airline crews
Link: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/canada-ufo-sightings-include-reports-from-airline-crews/3120051Source snippet
January 26, 2024 — 26 Jan 2024 — At least 17 reports of unexplained sightings were confirmed in 2023 by CTV News and are contained in an...
Published: January 26, 2024
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Source: publications.gc.ca
Title: Transport Canada
Link: https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2020/tc/T52-2-2-2020-1-eng.pdfSource snippet
ATC visual approach clearance and missed approach procedures for aircraft on an IFR flight plan. Rotating...
Additional References
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Source: navcanada.ca
Link: https://www.navcanada.ca/en/air-traffic/airspace-reviews/air-navigation-and-operational-basics-.aspxSource snippet
Air Navigation and Operational BasicsThe Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs) 602.14 to 602.16 prescribe the minimum altitudes an aircraf...
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Source: instagram.com
Link: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5Q6DvVurAL/Source snippet
MULTIPLE PILOTS REPORTS “FLASHING LIGHTS” IN A...A Delta Air Lines pilot's final flight turned into a powerful moment over the radio whe...
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Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/251941363127196/posts/1056249999362991/Source snippet
Police searching for UFO in North Delta areaThe Popo are out looking for a UFO in North Delta! I knew all this cow tipping was finally go...
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Source: lois-laws.justice.gc.ca
Link: https://lois-laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/sor-96-433/fulltext.htmlSource snippet
Aviation Regulations (SOR /96-433)The operator of an aerodrome may display flare pots to provide temporary lighting for the landing or t...
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Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1438685733057610/posts/3585078461751649/ -
Source: facebook.com
Title: an investigation got underway sunday after the flight crew of a delta air lines
Link: https://www.facebook.com/7NEWS/posts/an-investigation-got-underway-sunday-after-the-flight-crew-of-a-delta-air-lines-/918587866963883/Source snippet
An investigation got underway Sunday after the flight crew...30 Sept 2024 — An investigation got underway Sunday after the flight crew o...
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Source: nypost.com
Title: credible ufo sightings spotted by jet pilots are being ignored by government
Link: https://nypost.com/2021/12/01/credible-ufo-sightings-spotted-by-jet-pilots-are-being-ignored-by-government/Source snippet
'Credible' UFO sightings spotted by jet pilots are being '...1 Dec 2021 — Credible sightings of UFOs by commercial jet pilots are routin...
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Source: discoverweyburn.com
Link: https://discoverweyburn.com/articles/pilots-report-bizarre-lights-when-flying-over-southeast-saskatchewanSource snippet
Pilots report bizarre lights when flying over southeast...13 Feb 2024 — On January 19th, there were reports of lights from pilots...
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Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psGxOznGuiMSource snippet
2021-05-27: UAP Brief to Canada's Defense Minister Tom Owens UAP · 61 views Air traffic control audio: Pilots report 'triangles' over Can...
Published: May 27, 2021
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Source: documentcloud.org
Title: 23559555 cirvis aor and tsb reports for 2022 cadors uap cases
Link: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23559555-cirvis-aor-and-tsb-reports-for-2022-cadors-uap-cases/Source snippet
From 'unidentified' objects to a 'strange light': What pilots...These include four aviation occurrence reports (AOR) From 'unidentified'...
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