Waves of Wonder: The Tic-Tac Over the Pacific
On November 14, 2004, 100 miles southwest of San Diego, the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group encountered a phenomenon that redefined aerial mysteries. Radar operator Kevin Day on USS Princeton tracked "multiple anomalous aerial vehicles" plummeting from 80,000 feet to sea level in seconds, no transponders or exhaust. Commander David Fravor and Lt. Alex Dietrich, Top Gun graduates in F/A-18Fs, diverted from training to investigate, spotting a 40-foot white Tic-Tac—smooth oblong, no wings, rotors, or windows—hovering above churning whitewater the size of a 737, per Fravor's 60 Minutes account. The object mirrored Fravor's descent, then accelerated hypersonically, vanishing to reappear 60 miles away at the CAP point in under a minute, defying physics with no sonic boom or heat.
Lt. Chad Underwood's follow-up flight captured FLIR video: the Tic-Tac rotating against wind, jamming radar, exhibiting transmedium capability—air to sea without splash. Day's SPY-1 radar logged 100+ pings over days, objects at 28,000 mph with instant stops. The whitewater suggested submerged ops, sonar detecting USOs matching surface maneuvers. No debrief beyond standard logs; footage archived until 2017 NYT release, confirming Pentagon authenticity. The encounter, amid clear skies and calm seas, showcased tech millennia ahead—silent, inertialess, multimedium—hinting at intelligent observation of the strike group.
Fravor described the Tic-Tac's seamlessness, like polished plastic, with underside protrusions; Dietrich noted its unblinking awareness. Underwood's pod locked on, but the object evaded, accelerating at incredible speed. The Nimitz group's awe turned to protocol, but the event's precision—rendezvousing at classified points—implied non-hostile reconnaissance, a glimpse into skies shared with unseen sentinels.
The November 14 Intercept: Fravor's Close Call
Fravor and Dietrich, with WSOs, approached the coordinates: below, whitewater churned as if from a submerged craft; above, the Tic-Tac hovered 50 feet up, 40x12 feet, brilliant white with rounded ends. Fravor banked for visual; it ascended, matching his spiral, then shot east at Mach 20+, mirroring his path before vanishing. Reappearing at CAP—pre-briefed only to select crew—it awaited, then accelerated south over horizon. Dietrich provided overwatch, witnessing the impossible agility: no flaps, vents, or plumes, just pure vectoring. The 90-second pursuit covered 60 miles, G-forces absent, leaving pilots stunned in debriefs.
Underwood's FLIR Capture: The Video Legacy
Underwood's F/A-18, equipped with ATFLIR, acquired the Tic-Tac at 20 miles: infrared showed a cool oblong rotating 90 degrees against 120-knot winds, no heat trail. Radar jammed intermittently—"act of war," per Underwood—while it hovered, then bolted at 24,000 mph. The 90-second clip, zooming erratically, captured rotation without deceleration, apex-touching sphere illusion debunked by pilots. Sonar from Princeton echoed underwater pings syncing with surface, suggesting fleet of transmedium craft probing the group.
Military Response: Silent Skies Post-Encounter
Princeton's Day tracked 100+ objects for days, drops from space to waves; Nimitz CIC buzzed with alerts. No launch of missiles—CATM-9 dummies only—but frustration mounted as objects evaded. Post-incident, footage classified at China Lake; no formal probe, just whitewashed logs. 2017 NYT/To The Stars release, with Pentagon confirmation, validated the event, leading to AATIP and 2020s UAP tasks. Elizondo's efforts declassified FLIR, Gimbal, GoFast, tying to Nimitz as benchmark for advanced aerial tech.
Investigations: From Archives to Hearings
Fravor's 2017 NYT interview sparked probes and massive online debate; 2019 History's *Unidentified* featured pilots, 2M viewers. 2021 60 Minutes with Dietrich/Fravor detailed maneuvers; 2023 hearings with Grusch affirmed "non-human" tech. AARO's 2023 report called it "unknown," but Kirkpatrick's analysis noted observables. *Skinwalkers at the Pentagon* (2013) linked to AAWSAP; 2024 recreations by 4chan analysts matched FLIR, amassing 1M views.
Theories: Transmedium Travelers
Could the Tic-Tac of been a probe from oceanic bases, with their transmedium hulls enabling air-sea-space ops, or something closer to home? Hypersonic feats suggest warp bubbles or other propulsion unlick any we know about at the very least. That it was one of ours, specifically made by Lockheed Martin, is getting much more traction these days. But if Lockheed Martin can build things like this why are cutting-edge companies like Space X etc still use "ancient" tech like chemical rockets to go into space?
Cultural and Historical Significance
It could be well argued the Nimitz encounter re-ignited the modern UAP era, the 2017 NYT article got over 100,000,000 (100 MILLION!) impressions alone, spawning AARO (turned out to be a problem with a problem in charge); the 2023 hearings drew 5M live viewers. Inspired *The Phenomenon* documentary by the great James Fox (in 2020 it had over 1,000,000 streams alone!); Navy reporting of UAP surged 500%. Ties to 2004 USS Omaha, boosting disclosure momentum.
Investigations and Corroboration
Day's radar logs confirmed drops; FLIR authenticated by Pentagon 2020. Fravor/Dietrich/Underwood testimonies consistent in 2023 hearings; 2021 AOIMSG observables match. Elizondo's AATIP files detail jamming, sonar syncs.
Facts and Context
November 14, 2004, 32°20'N 117°10'W off the coast of San Diego. Tic-Tac: 40ft white, no propulsion, clocked at 24,000mph. Princeton SPY-1 tracked 100+; FLIR by Underwood. AATIP investigated; 2023 UAPDA for transparency.
A Timeline of the Mystery
The Nimitz saga unfolds:
- November 10, 2004: Princeton tracks drops from 80k ft.
- November 14: Fravor/Dietrich intercept Tic-Tac; mirrors, vanishes.
- November 14 PM: Underwood FLIR video; jamming noted.
- 2017: NYT publishes FLIR, Fravor account.
- 2019: Navy confirms videos authentic.
- 2021: 60 Minutes interviews pilots.
- 2023: House hearing; "unknown" per AARO.
- 2024: 20th anniversary recreations trend.
What Do You Think?
If the Nimitz Tic-Tac mirrored your jet, would you kick the tires and light the fires? I don't know, but if something can go from Zero to Mach 30 (24,000mph is roughly Mach 31.27) in less than a blink of an eye, with no sound, no visable propulsion system, no enourmous shock wave and apparently at will.... I'd sure like us to be using it instead of a chemical rocket. Share on X.com @THEODDWOO or Reddit r/ODDWOO.