Are UFOs Real? What Airline Pilots Really See at 39,000 Feet

The Sky Is Full of Secrets

When you're flying through the upper atmosphere at 39,000 feet, the world takes on a new dimension. Down below, people are going about their day, sipping coffee, reading emails. Up here? It's quiet. It's dark. And it’s wide open. I've spent the last 10 years as an airline captain, logging thousands of hours, watching the skies not just for weather or traffic - but for beauty, wonder, and the occasional surprise.

This blog isn't about conspiracy. It's about curiosity. Because in the silence of the night sky, when your eyes adjust and the stars begin to speak, you start to wonder.

The Night Sky From the Cockpit

Most people have never seen the sky like a pilot does. Up here, there's no light pollution. No clouds. Just blackness and stars. And sometimes, sights that catch you off guard.

I’ve seen the International Space Station sweep overhead. I've watched satellites drift across the sky - they move like soft, silent stars on a mission. Once your night vision kicks in, they're easy to spot. They don't twinkle. They glide, purposefully, in straight lines. You can watch multiple satellites cross paths over a few minutes. It feels like you're seeing the machinery of the universe at work.

Satellites, Stars, and the Power of Imagination

Every so often, a light behaves unexpectedly, or moves in a way that makes you pause. I've never seen a UFO, and I don't know any commercial pilot who has (unfortunately). But that doesn't mean I don't love to imagine what's possible.

What if some of these lights in the sky aren't just satellites? What if, buried in that endless network of moving points, there's something else? Some unknown vehicle passing silently above?

Or better yet - what if we could one day pop out of Earth's atmosphere for a coffee on Mars and be home in time for dinner?

Far-fetched? Sure. But the sky invites dreaming.

At Jet Bean Coffee, we fuel the minds of those who wonder. Because aviation and imagination go hand in hand.

The Day I Saw a Comet Break Apart

One night over the Mediterranean, I witnessed something incredible. A brilliant arc of light, then a series of flares that looked like a firework unraveling in slow motion. For a moment, it felt like something was entering our atmosphere. It looked like the beginning of a movie - or a firework from space heading to earth. You know those huge chandelier fireworks used at the end of a firework display that look like they're going to fall on your head?. But as suddenly as it arrived, it faded away. Just a comet fragment, maybe. But for a moment, everyone on the flight deck was silent.

Not everything can be explained. That’s part of the magic of space.

Bright Trails and Burning Colours

I’ve seen meteors tear across the sky in brilliant green and gold. These are moments that remind you the Earth is a small place. That we're surrounded by something bigger.

And they also remind me how lucky I am to do what I do. To sit in the front seat of a jet, coffee in hand, watching the cosmos play out above us. It’s part of what inspired Jet Bean Coffee, to create something for people who love flight and feel at home in the air, our branding is inspired by the colours of the sunset.

Pilots See a Lot - But Not Everything Is a Mystery

While I personally haven't seen a UFO, there are some well-documented cases where professional pilots have reported sightings of unexplained aerial phenomena. For example, in 1986, a Japan Airlines cargo flight over Alaska reported a large, unidentified object pacing their aircraft for nearly 50 minutes — an event so compelling it was investigated by the FAA. In 2006, multiple airline crew and airport staff at Chicago O'Hare reported a disc-shaped object hovering silently before shooting upward through the clouds. More recently, the U.S. Navy released footage showing unidentified objects performing maneuvers beyond known aviation capabilities — reigniting public curiosity.

These reports come from highly trained observers, many with thousands of flight hours, and they add weight to the idea that there may still be mysteries in our skies worth exploring.

While pilots have a front-row seat to the night sky, most of what we see can be explained — satellites, aircraft, natural phenomena. I've never seen anything I'd call a UFO, and I'm not claiming they exist. But I'm also not saying they don't.

Wonder is part of flying. It's part of being human.

So whether it's a streak of light, a satellite in orbit, or a dazzling comet breaking apart — I keep looking up.

And if one day something truly unexplainable appears on the radar? Well, that would be one hell of a coffee break story.

Final Approach - Keep Looking Up

Whether you're staring out a cockpit window or sipping espresso at home, don't stop wondering. There’s a universe above us, and whether it's full of stars, satellites, or something more... it’s ours to imagine.

So grab a mug of Jumbo Jet Espresso, step outside, and look up.

You never know what you might see.

Nathan Raab
Airline Pilot | Better Coffee Advocate | Jet Bean Founder