37.39391°N 97.281155°W: Belle Plaine KS, Night
Field Notes:
Belle Plaine, Kansas - a small and peaceful town - was among the first sites I explored at the beginning of Expedition 37.
My first visit occurred on a bitterly cold and overcast day in February 2024. As I shot a photograph of trees forming an arch over a country road, I had no idea that I would return to this same town on a moonless June night.
For months, I’ve crisscrossed the highways, country lanes, city streets, and dirt roads that weave through the landscape of south-central Kansas. It’s become my backyard and my photo studio. I can point out the water towers, radio masts, and wind farms that mark the land. The winding rivers, quietly flowing between or connecting towns, have etched their paths into my memory. Some towns thrive, while others languish, their better days fading like sepia photographs.
Yet, despite my familiarity with the area, I continue to learn more. The night reveals secrets hidden from daylight. Familiar places change - shadows elongate, contours blur, and the mundane takes on an otherworldly hue.
The night is teaching me that unexpected events can happen even in the most familiar places.
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NUFORC Sighting 12413
Occurred: 1995-06-19 22:00 Local
Reported: 2000-03-22 00:00 Pacific
Duration: 5-7 min.
No of observers: 3
Location: Belle Plaine, KS, USA
Shape: Triangle
Characteristics: Lights on object, Aircraft nearby
Summary: A triangular craft with a light at each end and a slightly larger central light
“Parked in the country just north of Belle Plaine, KS my friend and myself sighted the plane/craft flying at medium level. Not as high as a jet nor at a level where the size was determinable. It was dark probably black but the lights underneath it were bright enough to obscure the vision as to color but the outline of its shape was clearly visible in the clear sky. It hovered on occasion before changing direction. This lasted for a few minutes then it flew north out of view we saw several other normal (perhaps military) planes in the area afterwords.”
NUFORC Note:
A dramatic event was reported to NUFORC by the Cameron, MO, Police Dept. for this date, as well.
Posted 2000-04-01
