The Hudson Valley UFO Wave

From 1981 to 1986, thousands of people in New York’s Hudson Valley reported seeing enormous, silent, boomerang or V-shaped craft with multicolored lights. The wave became one of the most significant and well-documented UFO flaps in American history.

The Sightings

Over five years:

• Thousands of reports filed
• Multiple counties affected
• Consistent descriptions
• Various times of day and night
• Objects seen by groups

The Object

Witnesses described:

• Boomerang or V-shaped craft
• Massive size (football field or larger)
• Multiple colored lights underneath
• Silent or low humming
• Moving very slowly

March 24, 1983

A key date when:

• Hundreds reported the object
• Police switchboards overwhelmed
• Multiple towns affected
• Sightings lasted hours
• The wave gained national attention

Taconic State Parkway

Memorable incident:

• Drivers stopped on the parkway
• Exited cars to watch
• The object hovered overhead
• Traffic backed up
• Police responded

The Witnesses

Reports came from:

• Police officers
• Pilots
• Scientists
• Average citizens
• Groups and individuals

Investigation

Researchers documented:

• Over 5,000 reports
• Consistent descriptions
• Multiple independent witnesses
• Photos and videos obtained
• Book published (“Night Siege”)

The “Pilots” Explanation

Skeptics proposed:

• Ultra-light aircraft in formation
• Stunt pilots creating illusion
• Some sightings may fit this
• Many witnesses disputed it
• Object moved too slow and silent

Problems with Explanation

Witnesses argued:

• Too large for small aircraft
• Completely silent
• Moved as single object
• Hovered motionlessly
• No aircraft could do this

The Investigation Continues

Researchers found:

• No conventional explanation fit all sightings
• Witnesses were credible
• Multiple forms of evidence
• Pattern suggested genuine phenomenon

Similar Craft

The Hudson Valley object resembled:

• Later Phoenix Lights craft
• Belgium triangle UFOs
• Other boomerang reports
• Suggesting a consistent phenomenon

Significance

The Hudson Valley wave is significant for:

• Thousands of witnesses
• Multi-year duration
• Consistent descriptions
• Documented extensively
• Remaining unexplained

Legacy

The Hudson Valley UFO wave established the boomerang/V-shaped craft as a major UFO type and demonstrated that mass sightings could occur over extended periods in populated areas.