Sail Plane
Flight Crew Glider; Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 10; Flight Crew Total 204; Flight Crew Type 88
Distraction; Time Pressure; Workload
Conflict NMAC; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Object
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors; Procedure
Close encounter with UAV Sunday 5 miles Northeast of Windham High Peak in Greene County New York at about 3;500 feet altitude.I was piloting and had a passenger along for his first flight. We could not see any kind of wings; rotors; or form of propulsion. Unfortunately my camera was stuck in my pocket under tight seat belts and I couldn't get it out while flying the glider trying to avoid hitting this thing.It was about 6 feet tall; 2-3 feet wide. Top of UAV was extremely radiant; with black half sphere under the radiant top and what appeared to be an antenna under the half sphere; we watched it skimming over the tree tops below and to the right of our flight path. It was moving at a fast speed southwest toward Windham High Peak. It had a very sparkling appearance like sun shining on a mirror with rainbow colors. I was flying northeast from Windham High Peak at about 3500 feet. As we watched the UAV I banked to the left and half way through the turn and now pointing at Windham High Peak; the UAV turned around and came toward us at a high rate of speed. As I got 3/4 of the way through the turn was within 50 yards of my right wing; quickly got in front of me and followed me around the turn getting closer until it was off my left wing; probably no more than 25-30 yards away. It covered about 5 miles in just a few seconds. We had a really good view of it.As it got off my left wing; my passenger looked up and saw two more UAVs come out of the cloud directly over us. At that point I told my passenger we were returning immediately to the airport; I pushed the nose down and picked up speed. The UAVs then headed to the west at a fast speed.
The reporter estimated at first visual contact the UAV was approximately 3.5 miles away down the hill. It sped up hill to the reporter's aircraft at a much higher speed than the aircraft. The reporter estimated the closure took less than a minute and as he accelerated his aircraft away from the craft it followed; maneuvering at a speed much high than his. Two other similar shaped UAVs also had brilliant tops but colors somewhat different from the first which was a shimmering; brilliant rainbow type light.
A pilot flying near Windham High Peak in Greene County New York; at 3;500 feet was approached by an elaborate UAV with a brilliant surface on top of an inverted bowl shaped container with long rectangular antennas protruding downward. The UAV approached; tracked; and flew around the reporter before speeding off toward the west with two other like shaped UAVs.