I just witnessed a drone pulsating and then vanishing! (WV, USA)
Date: 3/17/28 ~1:25 AM EST
Location: Eastern Panhandle of WV, USA
I stepped outside for a smoke, and after about 20 minutes (I enjoy trying to see the stars through all the pollution), I noticed what I initially thought was an airplane. It was flashing pure white light and didn’t make any noise. Excited, I grabbed my phone to record what I believed was a drone sighting. As I opened the camera app, the object seemed to slow down, then unexpectedly shot straight up into the sky. I was slightly in front of its path, so I can’t say how straight it was, but it ascended quickly. Just before I looked down at my phone, I saw it flash brightly one last time. When I turned my gaze back to the sky, it was completely gone—no smoke trail, just an empty sky as if it had never been there.
I’m not sure how big the drone was; my vision isn’t great, and the brightness made it hard to discern any details. There was a brief pause between its pulses, so I caught a glimpse of its shape—it reminded me of a plane as if a child had drawn it, like a big cylinder with two short wings. That’s all I can recall for now. I think I’ll go enjoy some more smokes to process this! 😭😭
That’s a fascinating sighting! What you described sounds like it could have been a drone or some kind of experimental aircraft. The way it pulsed with light and suddenly shot straight up is definitely intriguing. It’s interesting that you couldn’t hear any noise, as many drones can be pretty quiet, especially at a distance.
The “toddler drawing” shape is also curious—there are many types of drones out there, and some do have unusual designs. It must have been quite a surprise to see something moving so erratically in the sky like that!
Did you manage to get any video recorded, or were you too distracted by the sight itself? I’d love to hear more if you see something like that again in the future! And enjoy your time outside—star-gazing can be really relaxing!