UnID flashing object seen for 20 min over Pacific

DJLaszlo (DJLaszlo@aol.com)
Fri, 6 Mar 1998 14:22:20 EST

I am forwarding a request for help with an UnID.  
Thanks for any assistance, Cheers, Dan Laszlo
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I am a corporate pilot. The other night I was returning from a trip through
the Far East and observed a very interesting object. In the sky to the
southeast, I saw a blinking light with a period of about 20 seconds. Keep in
mind that I was 41,000 feet and this object was above me and about 10 degrees
above the horizon. This coupled with the fact that aircraft stobe lights blink
with a much faster period tends to rule-out other aircraft as the source
of the light. In addition, I have been observeing satellites for many years
and have never seen any that emitted light of their own (let alone any that
blink). In addition, satellites that I have observed move in fairly
predictable directions (mostly to the northwest) and fairly quickly with
respect to the stars in any field of view. This object moved very little, if
any. I observed the light for about 20 minutes before it faded and
dissappeared.

My position at the time was N18 28.7, W165 32.8 on the track between Majuro
and Hawaii. The Zulu time and date was 04 March, 13:29. My direction of flight
was 055 degrees true course, which would have put the object on a 135 bearing
from my cockpit. I am a novice and am probably using the wrong positional
terms, but my best guess of the celestial position would put the object above
Sagittarius and to the right of Scutum, in the vicinity
of M24. 

Again, I am extremely familiar with the dynamics of aircraft lighting systems
and the general appearance of aircraft at night from great distances. In
addition, any aircraft in that vicinity would have been on the same High-
Frequency channel on which I was operating. We were the only airplane within
500 miles. The likelihhod that this object was another airplane is very low. 

My address is AV8NVegas@AOL.com. My name is Jim and I live the Dallas area. I
would appreciate any information. Thanks.