driveing down highway on edge of town returning from movie. Noticed flares approx 3feet dia traveling approx 2feet above power line running along parallel road 1/2 mile distance 30 mph. Car was traveling 60 mph. Going opposite direction. Converged and turned onto road heading opposite direction to return friend home who lived down that road. Thought flares might be overload power burst from power station. Had never seen anything like it. After turning onto side road and heading towards friends house passed by power transfer station on way to friends house.when passing power station car suddenly died. Pulled off side of road under power station lights. Got out of car, all 4 of us. Thought car might be out of gas although gas gage was reading 1/4 tank. Sent friend to restaurant 1/2 mile away to call brother to bring gas. While standing outside car waiting for friend to return a flare started traveling along 3 feet above power line. When our eyes automatically back tracked back to the origine of the flares path with our eyes looking almost straight up above our heads there was a hovering disc 30 feet above us no lights silent. Apparently it had been there for the approx 5 minutes we had been standing outside the car but we never looked up directly above our heads all that time. We were astounded because it was so close and we had not seen it.although it had no lights the power station lights were reflecting off it and clearly showed a grey disc easily visible with sharp edges and blotting out bright stars in the clear desert sky altitude 3600feet Msl. Our mouths fell open and tears were forming in my eyes. No more flares came out as we observed it approx 15 min. After observing it for approx 5 min it very very slowly started to ascend straight up. I got the impression that it was in distress.it took 10 min for it to ascend until it appeared the size of a dime. All this time it was clearly visible with a sharp outline. Seconds later it disappeared from sight .when it had ascended to an altitude where it was the size of a nickel my friend returned from calling his brother for gas and witnessed the last 2min of the sighting.we put the 3 gal of gas in the car and it started and we went home. We called the police to report it and the officer seemed annoyed and gave me an excuse that seemed to me to be a stock answer to give people who report Ufos. He said white sands 300 miles away had tested a rocket that day. The next day I checked the gas gage on the big Buick and it was 1/2 full. I'm 63 now and have never reported this again. I have only told about a dozen people in my life. I just wanted to get this story out before I die. I am a retired aircraft mechanic for a major airline. Aim also a commercial pilot rated to fly many types of aircraft. Thanks for listening.