Some weird object flew at about 2,500 ft altitude along Sycamore Canyon trail towards Pt. Mugu around 12:30 today. It was definitely not a plane or helicopter. So I reckon it was a (very) large drone, but I could not figure out make/model.


As I watched it, It covered a considerable distance before I lost the visibility, which is amazing considering the terrain.
If the operator were on the ground, they would lose the signal in 2-3 miles at most, unless they were on top of some mountain peak.


Here's a smartphone snapshot I managed to get.


Any idea what was it?

That doesn't look like any drone I've ever seen.
Better pix required to tell anything about it.

Labroides Posted at 1-1 19:42
That doesn't look like any drone I've ever seen.
Better pix required to tell anything about it.

That’s all I have. And I am hardly ever in that area, so even if it’s a regular occurrence, the chances of me seeing it ever again are quite slim..

Looks like a bundle of star shaped balloons. If that thing was at 2500' (AGL I assume) and you took that with a smart phone, it is fairly large in size. Probably another one of them Chinese spy balloons or a New Years party let them go. Or of course, aliens.

Johnnokomis Posted at 1-1 20:26
Looks like a bundle of star shaped balloons. If that thing was at 2500' (AGL I assume) and you took that with a smart phone, it is fairly large in size. Probably another one of them Chinese spy balloons or a New Years party let them go. Or of course, aliens.

It was flying at a constant altitude and constant speed AGAINST the variable wind.  Balloons would display a much jerkier behavior…

DarthSLR Posted at 1-1 20:35
It was flying at a constant altitude and constant speed AGAINST the variable wind.  Balloons would display a much jerkier behavior…

If it's as big as it seems. It's hard to really tell since there's nothing to give perspective. Even at that high of an altitude you'd be able to hear it. Could you hear any props on it? Or was it quiet? Winds a half mile high can be very different than what's on the ground.

Johnnokomis Posted at 1-1 20:56
If it's as big as it seems. It's hard to really tell since there's nothing to give perspective. Even at that high of an altitude you'd be able to hear it. Could you hear any props on it? Or was it quiet? Winds a half mile high can be very different than what's on the ground.

It was at least a mile away from me, I would not hear small propellers, like drone’s.
I agree, it looks like a bunch of balloons, but, again, the manner of flying with constant speed and direction over a very uneven mountain terrain does not support that theory. Balloons would bobble up and down, there is no way there would be a laminar airflow of the Santa Monica mountains for several miles straight. Check my other today’s post in Nature, there is a movie showing the terrain it flew over.
I wish I was quicker on a shutter and taken a video. But it took me a while to figure out there was something strange about it, and then it was too far and against the sun.

Hmm…
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news ... os-Angeles-LAX.html

Looks like a weather balloon but you might have caught the foreigners at it again.

I welcome our robot overlords and offer all politicians claiming to represent us as our sacrifice.

Most likely party balloon collection. Below is the payload package from a weather balloon. I have collected loads of them over the years. They consist of a large white balloon, with an orange fall retarder below, then the rather small payload transmitter package. Occasionally they will also have a long streamer with sensors below the transmitter. They can appear to move quite quickly relative to the ground as the air, even 100 meters up can have a significant velocity difference to the ground, called wind shear. The Weather balloons are white latex, designed to burst if they go to high and if they encounter any objects when close to the ground. The orange chute is to keep the payload from going to fast as it falls to the ground. They launch from the nearby from Belmont NOAA station, so aside from collecting them I see them all the time.
There are high altitude balloons that are launched here in the Southwest to do research and Google was also playing with the large ones for the Loon project. They are clear plastic envelopes.

I believe I have found your mystery drone. Party City has them for $34. AirLoonz Wine Bottle & New Year Stars Balloon Bouquet Set, 13pc  


Tell them DJI Wanda sent you.

Johnnokomis Posted at 1-2 12:31
I believe I have found your mystery drone. Party City has them for $34. AirLoonz Wine Bottle & New Year Stars Balloon Bouquet Set, 13pc  

lol, you might be right

Few years back, we had a good one from Romania...

Interesting to read and see.