On October 30, 2011 in Mesa, AZ around 11:30 AM, I was outside on my porch drinking my cup of coffee and I was just casually looking around in the sky while sitting in my lawn chair. Then to the right of me (northwest) I observed a small group of 4 balloons that somebody or something (probably accidentally) had just released in the sky. It had an interesting formation: two bright neon orange color balloons on top floating, and two dark black color balloons appearing as dead weight which mostly stayed towards the bottom of the group of balloons. I thought that was an interesting formation and colors, so I took some pictures of them. The two orange balloons were floating and pulling outwards like a "V" while the two black balloons were pretty much almost clinging to each other like dead weight balloons. Nothing really odd about them traversing towards me: it was seen in the northwest while it quickly traversed somewhat south and at a low altitude. The wind at that time appeared to be blowing directly from the west.

Then around 11:55 AM in the same direction and area of the earlier balloon sighting, , I saw an enormous amount of individual white color balloons along with one big group of orange color balloons which those were tied together as a single group lagging behind the individual white balloons or bottom area of the formation. Just with the naked eye, the orange group looked like just one big orange object slowly floating in the sky while the white balloons looked like scattered white dots in the sky that were very slowly drifting upwards. These mass group of traversing balloons which were sparsely separated from each other is the first time (since living at this address a good amount of time) that I had ever seen in that large amount traversing in the sky that surrounds my area. Because I didn't have any pictures of such a large group of flying balloons, I decided to take lots of pictures of those balloons too. The formations of balloons was unique: the orange group of balloons at the bottom of the large area of white balloons that seem to come together like a point as you followed the formation upwards in the flock of balloons. Nothing looked suspicious of them at the moment; however, it didn't dawn on me then that the wind was blowing from the west, and the objects were somewhat heading south or southwest in direction. As I continued taking pictures of these mass of balloons and observing their flight behavior too, I noticed that the balloons seemed to slowly traverse upwards, but not in the expected way I assume balloons would be typically traversing. The group didn't really spread outwards or move about, but the balloons seem to move in unison like they were all just one big group tied together with strings. There always seemed to be just one single balloon at the very top of the group. The balloon formation a few times almost resembled something like the shape of a pine tree: pointy on top while enormous and wide at the bottom. Nonetheless, the balloons still appeared to be like balloons traversing.

Then about 2 minutes later, I spotted an orange balloon coming from the same general area where the large group of balloons were first seen which the orange balloon was moving towards me at an angle and it was also moving at a quick pace and low altitude. At first, I didn't know for sure exactly what type object was traversing until I took one picture of it and reviewed it via the camera. When I recognized it as an orange balloon traversing via the camera's picture reviewer, that's when it dawn on me about the group of balloon's heading. The orange balloon which was at low altitude but steadily going upwards was quickly traversing in the air; yet, the large group of balloons which came from the same general area were not moving in the same direction as the orange balloon was traversing east. The group of balloons were just slowly going upwards, but they were traversing somewhat southwest while the wind appeared to blowing directly from the west according to the swaying of leaves and branches on the trees nearby. That's the part that doesn't make any sense to me. It may be possible to have an air current going in one direction at a lower altitude while there is a change to the air flow and direction in the higher atmosphere; but the group of balloon had to pass through the lower altitude to reach the higher altitude hence the confliction of balloon travel of the large group of balloons and the orange balloon just seen. I then realize the opportunity to include landmarks while capturing pictures together of the large group of balloons and single orange balloon traversing near me. The elevation of the group of balloons were very high in the sky (possible 500 or less feet) while the orange balloon traversing near me is estimated to be about 100 feet or less in altitude. After the orange balloon had pass by my area, I occasionally still took pictures of the group of balloons. Last sighting of the group of balloon was around 12:10 PM which was now in the southwest direction at an altitude of possibly 2,000 feet. No white dots in the sky were seen; however, the orange group of balloons were barely still seen which further below the orange group of balloon was another object (not seen but on camera) presumably a single white balloon with something like another object hanging from it.

Then at 12:13 PM while looking almost southwest in direction, I observed a small white object that seemed to just instantly appear in the sky. The altitude it seemed to be at may had been between 100 to 200 feet. It's size appeared to be slightly smaller than a silver dollar coin. It was quickly traversing in the air towards the southeast (possibly with the wind and same rate the wind was blowing.) When I first saw it, I used manual focus on it. Then after maybe 3 or 4 pictures of it, I decided to try the auto-focus on it since the object appeared big enough for the camera to possibly automatically focus on it. Luckily, the auto-focus didn't get fussy by trying to lock onto the target which sometimes occurs on moving objects or even on very small objects. The camera quickly focused onto the object which made me very happy by it doing that; I then quickly set the auto-focus lever back to manual mode. During the middle of the event, another dark round object appear close to the white object I was observing . I didn't want to take any chances of loosing track of the white object or wasting any time trying to focus on the other object. Then near the end of the event, I also noticed with my left eye a helicopter looking similar to the Mesa police type quickly cruising through the area at close range while I had my telescopic lens pointed close to being straight up in the sky. The white object eventually went over the roof which I quickly went to the north wall of the patio to see if I could catch a glimpse of the white object there. The white object couldn't be seen in the sky in that area which means the white object went directly over my roof. I didn't bother to go outside the patio since there would had been too many structures in the way of continuing viewing it; not to mention I have neighbors who may find that being a little bizarre in behavior on my part which I'm trying to quit literally avoid that type of possible embarrassment. To my recollection while viewing the object through the camera lens, the white object appeared to had been wiggling through the air almost like a squirming worm; yet, it does not look anything solid in features like a worm. The event lasted less than 1 minutes. Now what I found really interesting wasn't until after I download the picture onto my computer. The reddish color object I saw which just seem to appear was captured on camera. There was also other round objects captured which together almost seem to form a triangular shape which the white object being the head-point. During the entire time I observed the white object, not once did I see it disappear on me. It was in my sight the entire time while observing it via the camera lens. In one picture I took, where the white object should had been in the center of the picture was not there. I only captured 2 pictures that show the other objects. What's makes the two pictures bizarre is the fact that the first picture with those other reddish round objects shows the white object which is what I been focusing on. Then the next picture I took thereafter still shows those other objects; yet, the white object which is what I been focusing on is nowhere to be seen in that picture except for those other objects. In each picture of the other objects, I drew a dotted line to each other object. Both picture match almost identically as with just those other objects; yet, that second picture has no white object which leaves me puzzled as to where the white object disappeared which I had been focusing on? The area where the white object should had been is nowhere to be seen but just a blue sky. The only other thing I could think of that may explain the white object disappearance that it must have moved faster than the shutter speed of 1/160 second while at F/9; or it must have just simply wink out for a brief moment at the time I took the picture which I didn't notice. All the other pictures I took shows the white object except in that one picture showing those other objects. The camera does have a small time delay between depressing the camera button and actually capturing a picture. But I just don't see how I couldn't captured the white object in that one picture when I had captured the white object in all the other pictures.

Photos below (click to enlarge)

 

 

Source: MUFON