Row of BRIGHT WHITE LIGHTS Over I-39- Central Illinois

Was driving south on I-39 from Wisconsin to Peoria, IL.
I looked off into a field at night- and saw in the sky- a row of very VERY bright lights. They were stationary and did not move. Equally distanced apart. First sighting was near the exit for Sterling Illinois. Stopped at the next exit just down the road at Henry- to see if I could snap a photo.
Oddly-- when normal planes/helicopters, came within the air space of the bright lights- the lights went out.
When the planes passed by- the lights all eventually came back on- so strange!!! One light was a bit more brighter than the other lights.
A side note- I saw this same formation of lights- last summer one evening- over Miller Beach/Gary Indiana on my way to my summer house. Same string of bright white/yellow lights- Except that there were more lights then- like 6-7.
 ** THESE WERE NOT CHINESE LANTERNS **