List of observations at the Vence Pass
Summary: o November 1st, 1982, Andon, 15 km west from the Vence Pass o July 2nd, 1988, Vence Pass o February 1993, Vence Pass, a witness photographs an object taking off o March 14th, 1993, circular track at the Vence Pass o March 5th, Vence Pass, 4 witnesses observe a triangle o March 7th, 1994, Gréolières (Alpes Maritimes’ county) o 1994 summer wave in the upper "Vallée du Loup" o February 8th, 1996, in Nice area, an object dives into the sea o Wednesday September 5th, 1996, Vence Pass, observation of a triangle o Friday September 13th, 1996, Vence Pass, reappearance of the triangle o October 11th, 1997, Vence Pass o April 18th, 1999, Vence Pass o June 21th, 1999, Vence Pass o September 4th, 1999, Vence Pass o September 6th, 1999, Vence Pass o August 2001, Vence Pass, two witnesses photograph two objects o December 8th, 2004, Vence Pass, two witnesses photograph an object o Conclusion of the observations
o November 1st, 1982, Andon, 15 km west from the Vence Pass
o July 2nd, 1988, Vence Pass
o February 1993, Vence Pass, a witness photographs an object taking off
o March 14th, 1993, circular track at the Vence Pass
o March 5th, Vence Pass, 4 witnesses observe a triangle
o March 7th, 1994, Gréolières (Alpes Maritimes’ county)
o 1994 summer wave in the upper "Vallée du Loup"
o February 8th, 1996, in Nice area, an object dives into the sea
o Wednesday September 5th, 1996, Vence Pass, observation of a triangle
o Friday September 13th, 1996, Vence Pass, reappearance of the triangle
o October 11th, 1997, Vence Pass
o April 18th, 1999, Vence Pass
o June 21th, 1999, Vence Pass
o September 4th, 1999, Vence Pass
o September 6th, 1999, Vence Pass
o August 2001, Vence Pass, two witnesses photograph two objects
o December 8th, 2004, Vence Pass, two witnesses photograph an object
o Conclusion of the observations
Jean-louis, his wife, his son and a friend were in a car, driving while watching a very dense weird black cloud coming in their direction. This cloud seemed to become bigger from the inside and soon surrounded them. As the visibility was almost down to zero, Jean-Louis stopped the car. They all observed a stationary green faint light, in which they finally could see a "cockpit" with its interior litten up by a highly luminescent white light. The phenomenon moved away towards the west, in the direction of the Audibergue mountain.
( For more information on this observation: see L.D.L.N. magazine Nr 346 )
That evening of July 2nd, three of us were staying on the plateau for an evening vigil, when around 11.00 pm, a lighting ball suddenly started flashing. It stood at the zenith, leading a random and more or less circular course. This observation lasted approximately 2 to 3 minutes and finally went off. Then, we saw two satellites following the same course as the previous object that turned on again after the two others were gone, finally disappearing at a dazzling speed, south-west to the sea.
Around 1:30 am, the witness was driving back from Vence to his home located behind the Vence Pass. As he got to the plateau, he noticed an orange glimmer approximately 800 m on his left hand side. He decided to check this out and, instead of driving straight forward to his home, turned left in the direction of Saint Barnab&eactute;, on the Vence plateau. He wanted to make sure this was not the beginning of a fire in case he would have to warn the local fire brigade. What a surprise for him as he got on site, to distinguish an orange sphere, taking off from the ground to then rapidly disappear into the sky. We are lucky to be able to view these images today: he promptly seized the camera he had on the passenger’s seat of his car in order to gather those outstanding pictures.
On that day, Pierre Beake found out on the Vence Pass plateau a circular track, that was easily noticeable among the "witches cercles" that can be made by the mycelium of some kind of mushrooms. Pierre Beake had already made a similar discovery back in 1985: a six meters diameter print, where the earth seemed smashed-in or scoured, with a level difference of 2 to 3 cm highly visible on the edge of the disc. On the picture he had made 4 years later, we noticed that the grass was clearly less hardy insided the disc than all around it. Since then, the aspect of the track had not changed much: the grass would still not grow again but the clearness of the edges would progressively shade off. Whatsoever, it was a completely different kind of circle that Pierre discovered March 14th, 1993, 1 300 meters away from the 1985 track.
This mysterious track was discovered in March 1993 and reminds us of what some people call "fairies circles". It was still visible several years after it was discovered.
This time, we were no longer facing a circle but a circlet of approximately 12m external and 10m internal diameter, where the grass was greener than anywhere else. In fact, both inside and outside this circlet, it would be just as if it had been sucked up and only new grass would grow again. Many years later, the track was still visible although it had lost some of its clearness. In such a case, it would have been interesting to proceed to all kinds of analyses on the ground and on the flora: would it be possible that the mycelim of a fungus could be capable of growing in such a circle shape and of weakening the dry blades of grass, unabling the wind to just blow them away? We wish a mycologist would read us to be able to bring an answer to our question. Reconstitution by computer of the event of march 5th, 1994
Reconstitution by computer of the event of march 5th, 1994
That evening, Pierre Beake, accompanied by a director, one of his friends, had gone up to the Vence Pass in order to shoot a serie of documentaries about the site, for a TV show. Two other witnesses were present on site. A triangular UFO appeared around 11.00 pm. The aircraft would move very slowly among the stars, without making any single noise and was lighted up at each angle. The observation lasted two more minutes before the UFO suddenly disappeared. Following this event, we formed a team of friends, all fanatic of very regular evening vigils: once or twice a week, sometimes even more often. We were all intrigued and motivated by the idea of discovering the exact nature of this phenomenon that had passed over our heads on that 5th March. A media plugging fllowed through articles in Nice-Matin, Ici-Paris, and other newspapers, making other witnesses contact us to talk about their experiences although they had always remained silent so far. Testimonies kept flooding in for many weeks.
After having read about the observation at the Vence Pass in the Nice-Matin newspaper dated March 10th 1994, he contacted Pierre Beake in order to transmit him the information. This man was leaving at Gr&eactute;olières village, 11 km west/north-west from the Vence Pass. As someone had tried to steal his car the previous night, he got up at 4:30 am, Monday 7th, and, looking through his window, he saw a bright shining white light in the direction of the Vence Pass, just above an electricity pylon. This light would move to the right and would stop just over Cipières village. A few seconds later, four "objects" identical to the first one, would light up above the first one. All of a sudden those four objects went off whereas the first one was still there. Then, the last one went away to disappear on the skyline. The witness stayed at his window and saw again, around 4:50 am, the first light above the electricity pylon. The same phenomenon as previously described occured again, this second observation also lasting less than 3 minutes. (Source: magazine Nr 324)
1994 summer wave in the upper "Vallée du Loup" (Wolf Valley)
This inquiry was lead by Joël Mesnard and Pierre Beake: see L.D.L.N. magazine Nr 327 and 328. The events we are going to report took place in an area located north of Grasse, up to S&eactute;ranon, located 25km west from the Vence Pass. This zone is linked to the upper Vall&eactute;e du Loup that runs between to mountain ranges.
1 –During the first two weeks of July 1994
At "La Moulière" locality, on Caille’s discrict, Gaston R. and his relatives owned the restaurant "Le Chantecaille". In a morning of July 1994, around 8:30 am, Gaston and other members of his family, ,noticed in the sky, in the north direction, a luminescent object, white and round, that would slowly head up to west, progressively disappearing in lunchtime’s mist. He had plenty of time to film the object with his camcorder. On the views shot with a maximum zoom, the object seemed to be a regular pentagone, with sides lightly curved to the outside. This observation made us think of a sounding balloon but Pierre Beake called Nice airport that assured him no sounding balloon was reported in this area during July 1994.
2 –May 1994, between Andon and Caille
One night, as Jean-Louis was driving his car, he saw a huge white ball flying over his head, lighting up the whole area.
This photo was taken in the Pass of Vence in 2001. This one can illustrate the observation of Jean-Louis
3 – Monday June, 6th 1994, la Moulière (Caille)
As Sylviane got out on her balcony around 1:30 am to get some fresh air, she saw down through the christmas trees, south, two hemispherical lighting masses, both of a milky green colour, distant of a few meters from one another. Each of the masses had "windows" of a brighter green and you could see approximately six or eight on each! These two objects were not lighting the space around them and everything was calm around. Only Sylviane’s dog growled.
We will never know how these objects disappeared was Sylviane went back to bed around 1:45 whereas they were still there.
4 – Monday July, 4th 1994, la Moulière (Caille)
On his way back home from his restaurant after midnight, Gaston noticed some lights going on and off without any explanation. The next day, while going out on his terrace, he noticed that the tables sun umbrellas were all spread over the floor a few meters away, on the lawn, some of the metal bars of the sun umbrellas even being bent.
50 meters away from there, at the "Ranch", the same sight was to be noted.
Even more surprising, the owner of the bar had seen around 1:00 am, two sun umbrellas lifting in the air by themselves, getting open, and falling down on the ground a few meters away from their initial position whereas there the weather was calm and there was absolutely no wind!
These events were closer from the poltergeist phenomenon rather than the UFO observation.
This same night, at Thorenc, an inhabitant also experimented something frightening.
We was woken up by the noise of an enormous machine.
This man had horses and the next day he noticed that the horses would panic after any single noise, although they were used to the passing by of trucks on the near road.
5 – Beginning of July 1994 (no precise date given), at the Parc de la Moulière
Gilles M. was at home watching towards the South, in the direction of the Audibergue mountain.
He saw a kind of white little plane, totally silent, that seemed to land on top of the crest, which was completely impossible.
Two more things then appeared: first, a mass that was more a less egg-sphaped, turning just as a bird of prey would have done, then, 15 mn later, another one, similar to the same one, going alternatively up and down.
6 – Beginning of July 1994 at Saint Auban
5 witnesses who wish to remain anonymous watched in full daylight, for more than one hour, a kind of vertical cigar, looking like a zeppelin, steady in the sky, just above the Clues and maybe vertical to the Estéron.
The object remained still despite a quite strong wind, before disappearing suddenly.
7 – Thursday July 7th 1994, Saint Barnabé at the Vence Pass
During a night vigil on the Vence Pass plateau, at 4:55 am, five people from Nice saw successively three balls, not much bigger that the stars, passing by at a constant altitude and speed, from South/South-East to North/North-East, apparently heading to Coursegoules.
These three balls seemed online but the more interesting part of the story was the following detail that Nice-Matin mentionned while publishing an article about the observation: during the whole duration of the phenomenon, it seemed that the Plateau had been thrown in an extraordinary and almost frightening silence. Not one bird singing anymore, not one bell chiming from the flock of goats resting nearby.
One of the witnesses also specified that even the voices of the witnesses seemed muffled.
We were therefore in presence of a sample of "silence of nature" related to the observation of an UFO.
8 – Middle July 1994, La Moulière
Nine witnesses observed for a long time but really far away, a lightning white ball, that seemed to be landed on the Cheiron.
By way of illustration: this photo was taken some years later in the Pass of Vence
9 – Middle July 1994, Thorenc
Around 1:30 am, several witnesses settled above the Bleyne Pass saw three lightning balls, which intensity varied, apparently staying still 500m from the top of the trees.
They disappeared after 10 minutes as if by magic.
10 – July 26th 1994, on Gréolières’ plateau
Around 9:00 am, a journalist from Nice-Matin made a picture of a luminous ball. The picture was published in the newspaper a fews days later.
This photo was also taken some years later in the Pass of Vence by our team. It illustrates the observation of the journalist of Nice-Matin
11 – End of July, Séranon
About thirty tourists, camping at Séranon, were flown over by luminous balls.
12 – Friday August 5th, 1994, from Caille to Gréolières
Around 4:00 pm, Jean-Louis who was at the top of the Audibergue ski-lift was looking North-East of Gréolières-les-neiges, when he noticed a white ball, landed on the top of a crest.
At that moment, he noticed that the luminosity of the ball was increasing and that it was "huge".
At a certain time, he saw a fine ray of light coming out from the ball, going up on the right and he saw a flash at the end of this luminous tube.
He called after his friends and they soon were 9 to observe this phenomenon.
When night came, the ball was still visible.
13 – Friday August 5th, Andon
That same evening, between 9:45 and 9:50 pm, eight people standing on the terrace of a restaurant observed something curious. The weather was beautiful and the sky was full of stars.
Watching towards the Audibergue, these people noticed a luminous ball, of yellowish white, steady above the top of the mountain. The ball then landed on the top and its luminous intensity started fluctuating at a regular peace of 5 seconds. Not less than 10 intensity maxima were noticed before the phenomenon stopped.
14 – Saturday 6th, august 1994, between Grasse and La Moulière
Patrick was filming the landscape of the Audibergue moutain with his camcorder.
A few moments later, while watching the video, one of them rapidly saw an anomaly on the picture.Conclusion of 1994 summer wave
This succession of observations just stopped as suddenly as it had started.
Local newspaper "Nice-Matin" widely spread about this but nowone could make any conclusion out of this and the mystery still remains unexplained.
· February 8th, 1996, in Nice area, an object dives into the sea
Around 9 :30 pm, two officers from the local police of Vallauris observed an enormous green ball going away to the open sea and diving into the Mediterranean Sea, generating an important smoke.
The two police officers alerted the other authorities and the firemen put out to sea both at Antibes and Cagnes-sur-Mer. They patrolled without noticing anything suspicious, no fragment floating at the surface.
Next day, around 9:00 am, three helicopters flew over the area, near Nice. André Luchesi’s press release in Nice-Matin newspaper dated February 12th, tought us that a former military pilot and his wife had observed the twinkling of a massive luminescent yellowish form in Villeneuve-Loubet, around 20:30 pm (i.e. one hour earlier than the two policemen from Vallauris).
This form of no defined shape was visible from above the hills located North of Marina Baie des Anges and lasted approximately one hour.
According to this Nice-Matin journalist, a driver who was in the North-east quarters of Nice, saw the passing of an enormous white ball flying to Monaco.
Another automobilist, driving on the motorway to Fréjus (therefore much more towards the west) saw for a few seconds, an enormous white ball flying down to the Esterel.
It is difficult to say if all these witnesses attended the same phenomenon or several simultaneous ones.
14 - Wednesday September 5th, 1996, Vence Pass, observation of a triangle
That night of Wednesday September 5th 1996, we were 4 witnesses standing at the top of the plateau for one of our usual night vigils.
At 00:15 am, another event was going to reward us for these 2 ½ years of efforts.
Indeed, a triangular UFO appeared in the sky. This observation was filmed and lasted in total 4 minutes.
Both Nice-Matin and France Soir newspapers dated September 9th recounted the facts.
On that September 5th, we had absolutely never thought we would witness the same phenomenon for the third time, approximately 8 days later than the 1st time.
16 - Friday September 13th, 1996, Vence Pass, reappearance of the triangle
It was 11 :30 pm. We must say that at that time, we already had the habit of noting everything down scrupulously, for fear of forgetting a major detail. We were three this time and observed for several minutes a luminescent triangle.
That night, Coursegoules village endured a total electricity breakdown and we were convinced that these two events were closely linked.
This incredible event was filmed by our friend Patrick Langouet and will be available on our DVD dedicated to the Vence Pass, planned for 2005.
This observation was sensational. At a certain point, the UFO completely stopped in the sky in order to let a plane fly across its way.
Then, it changed direction before merging with the stars.
We must add that the two video documents are quite disappointing: you cannot distinguish much of the UFO on both films. The camera that was hold without a foot was not very stable and the excitation of the cameraman would not help. The image was therefore not really still.
We should have settled the camera on the top of a car in order to have a better idea of the object’s move.
Moreover, we should have included a mountain, a tree or even a person in the background in order to render a better sense of reality. Otherwise too difficult to apprehend exactly the position of the phenomenon and the distances...
Unfortunately, it is easier to notice these details in retrospect.
In fact, it was dark everytime it happened and we were always surprised by the suddenness of the appearance.
A total of eight different people observed the three successive appearances of the UFO.
The first one: March 5th 1994 / the second one: September 5th 1996 / the third one: September 13th 1996.
17 - February 8th, 1996, in Nice area, an object dives into the sea
18 - October 11th, 1997, Vence Pass
Six witnesses observed a big luminous point around 0:30 am, that was bigger than a star and seemed to be flying up very slowly before going off after approximately thirty seconds.
19 - April 18th, 1999, Vence Pass
At 11:00 pm precisely, three witnesses observed six luminous flashes, positionned over a curve ending at the top of La Colle des Pouis. Five minutes later, three other flashes went on at the same point.
Three jets then arrived on site and briefly evolved in the area before flying away to the point the phenomenon had started from.
20 - June 21th, 1999, Vence Pass
Between 11:45 pm and 0:35 am, four witnesses first observed a light coming down to La Colle des Pouis, then changing aspect into a streched out shape, finishing twinkeling at the top of the mountain. The object seemed to have landed over there, flashing constantly.
Impossible to go on site as the land was very sharp and dangerous at night.
Finally, after 40 minutes, and whereas the cigar was off, the four witnesses observed a little light coming down from the top, then going back up again, and a few moments later they saw a little explosion of light at the top.
21 - September 4th, 1999, Vence Pass
Seven witnesses were at the pass at 10:55 pm when they saw a group of 3 luminescent points looking like stars and heading all together to the south. This observation is similar to the ones of March 5th 1994 and the ones of September 5th and 13th 1996.
That evening, it only lasted one minute.
22 - September 6th, 1999, Vence Pass
Pierre and Brice were together when they saw a new triangle around 11:16 pm that remained visible for 4 minutes, going to the south before progressively disappearing.
23 - July 2001, Vence Pass
Pierre Beake was on the plateau with his friend Fabien when they rapidly saw during a few seconds two objects flying on an east-west direction.
They just had time to take this beautiful picture as only testimony of this observation.
4 - December 8th, 2004, Vence Pass, two witnesses photograph an object
Pierre Beake and his friend Gilles were standing on the Vence Pass plateau when they saw around 4:30 pm, an object flying down to the woods for a few seconds, at the bottom of La Colle des Pouis, located approximately 800m from them. They just had time to take this picture showing a white oval object. Original photo of 08-12-2004 Zoom in the picture Conclusion of the observations
Original photo of 08-12-2004 Zoom in the picture
It is clear that narrowing the problem of these appearances specifically at the Vence Pass would just minimize the question. There is no doubt that the whole south of the Alps constitutes a giant source of UFO appearings.
The UFO wealth of this area is not only a matter of quantity: Valensole, Trans-en-Provence and a few others are outstanding cases.
The Vence Pass can therefore be considered as the eastern limit of a huge ufological source, 150 km long and 100 km wide.
Still, one must note that this observations became rarer since 2000, and more and more surprise pictures have been made (cf " Pictures " file).
Example of surprising photo (Nancy Talbott together with Xavier Colin during an evening in the pass of Vence). Regarding the observation of luminescent triangles, the N.O.S.S. (Naval Ocean Surveillance System) could be part of the explanation but does not justify it all.
The first person to set a link in France betwen the N.O.S.S. and the observations of triangles was our friend, Brice, who has been a faithful partner for years.
The N.O.S.S. is in fact made of three american satellites, flying together around the earth, forming a triangle.
Some disparagers maintained we were only observing these satellites and not any triangular UFO.
Still, it is important to underline the fact that these observations were referring, on the one hand to three lights forming a isoceles triangle instead of a right-angled triangle.
And that on the other hand, contrary to satellites following a straight trajectory, the objects we observed were turning on themselves before going off.
For more details on this topic, you can refer to the excellent newspaper article from Joël Mesnard, Director of " Lumières dans la Nuit " magazine (" Lights in the night "), Nr 356, co-written with our friend Brice.
Joël Mesnar does not fear to write in his magazine that the Vence Pass is definitely one of the only sites in the world that can be considered as an ufological source, similar to the Gulf Breeze, Florida or Hessdalen, Norway.
Through some aspects, the anomalies of the Vence Pass remind us of some haunting phenomenon, poltergeists ones, or even channeling linked signs.
No one can exclude the possilibiliy of a kind of cover or camouflage intended to confuse any of the rare seekers involved in this question.
Other example of a very unusual photo taken in the pass of Vence