News-Times Whidbey
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 2013 | Vol. 114, No. 22 | www.whidbeynewstimes.com | 75¢
St. Patrick’s Day Celebrated. A12
‘The weirdest thing we’ve ever seen’ Unexplained aircraft leave resident with questions By JUSTIN BURNETT Staff reporter
Justin Burnett / Whidbey News-Times
Dick Johnson, a Bush Point resident, recounts a strange and frightening experience Saturday when he and his wife witnessed unexplained lights in the sky over their home. As a hobby, Dick Johnson studies military aircraft, but said this was like nothing he’s ever seen before. It lacked signature aviation navigation lights, moved quickly and was totally silent. “I know what a helicopter sounds like; thump, thump, thump,” he said. “This was no noise.” While he’s more inclined to believe the lights were some sort of top-secret military project, as
opposed to a flying saucer from outer space, the experience was more than a little startling. The Johnsons called 911 and, as directed, contacted the Federal Aviation Administration to report their observations. They received no explanation. “Someone has to come up with an answer for this because this was kinda scary,” he said. Mike Welding, spokesman for Whidbey Island Naval Air Station,
confirmed that two P-3 Orions — large four-engine turboprop submarine hunters — took off from the airbase Saturday evening but neither flew over South Whidbey. A Whidbey News-Times reporter also visited six different homes around the Johnsons’ house, but none of the neighbors reported seeing anything out of the ordinary that night. Several did express disappoint-
ment, however, at being left out. “I wish I’d seen it,” Tim Oliver said with a laugh. A 23-year resident of the community, he also has a great view See UFOs?, A9
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Unidentified flying objects over South Whidbey last weekend have left a Bush Point couple baffled and scared. A series of mysterious orange lights appeared in the sky over Dick and Carol Johnson’s home Saturday evening. While they are used to seeing all kinds of marine and air traffic from their picture windows overlooking Admiralty Inlet, the couple admits this has left them scratching their heads. “We’ve seen a lot of stuff, but this was the weirdest thing we’ve ever seen,” said Dick Johnson, a retired civil engineer. The Johnsons have lived in the community for 17 years and were watching television Saturday at about 8:30 p.m. when they noticed what appeared to be a steady, orange light hovering over Marrowstone Island. The lone light was quickly joined by several more, which then began to make their way across Puget Sound. Dick Johnson walked out on his porch and, to his astonishment, saw more over Whidbey Island, somewhere between their home and Lagoon Point. The incident ended when two of the strange lights flew over their neighborhood; one went right over the top of their house, Dick Johnson said. In all, they reported a total of seven objects. “The first thing I thought was Area 51 moved to Whidbey Island,” he said.