The Birth of Flying Saucers

On June 24, 1947, pilot Kenneth Arnold spotted nine objects flying near Mount Rainier. His description of their skipping movement led a reporter to coin “flying saucer”—and the modern UFO era began.

Kenneth Arnold

Who he was:

• Private pilot
• Businessman
• Fire equipment salesman
• Experienced aviator
• Credible witness

The Flight

June 24, 1947:

• Flying to Yakima
• CallAir A-2 plane
• Clear day
• Near Mount Rainier
• Washington State

What He Saw

The objects:

• Nine objects
• Chain formation
• Extremely fast
• Weaving between peaks
• Reflecting sunlight

The Description

Arnold’s account:

• Crescent shaped
• Bright
• Like mirrors
• Formation flying
• Tremendous speed

The Movement

How they flew:

• “Like a saucer skipping across water”
• Undulating motion
• Between mountains
• Coordinated
• Unlike aircraft

The Speed

His calculation:

• Timed between peaks
• 1,700+ mph
• Faster than any aircraft
• 1947 technology
• Impossible speed

The Landing

After the sighting:

• Landed in Yakima
• Told airport staff
• Then Pendleton
• More people told
• Word spread

The Reporter

Bill Bequette:

• East Oregonian reporter
• Interviewed Arnold
• Wrote the story
• Created “flying saucer”
• Term stuck

The Term

Origin of phrase:

• Arnold said movement
• Like saucer skipping
• Not the shape
• Reporter used “saucer”
• Public adopted it

Media Explosion

What happened:

• AP wire service
• National news
• International coverage
• Public fascination
• UFO era began

Other Sightings

Same period:

• Hundreds followed
• Across America
• Similar objects
• Mass phenomenon
• 1947 wave

Military Interest

Response:

• Air Force investigated
• Project Sign started
• Arnold interviewed
• Taken seriously
• Official interest

Arnold’s Life After

His legacy:

• Continued investigating
• Wrote about UFOs
• Never recanted
• Credibility intact
• Died 1984

Skeptical Explanations

Alternative theories:

• Pelicans
• Aircraft
• Mirage
• None satisfactory
• Arnold dismissed all

The Investigation

Official conclusion:

• Unexplained
• Not conventional aircraft
• Not natural phenomenon
• Open case
• Never solved

Significance

The sighting that created “flying saucers” and launched worldwide interest in UFOs.

Legacy

Kenneth Arnold didn’t just see UFOs—he gave them their name. His 1947 sighting opened a door that has never closed, and “flying saucers” entered human vocabulary forever.