On June 24, 1947, private pilot Kenneth Arnold was flying his CallAir Model A near Mount Rainier, Washington when he reported seeing nine unusual objects flying in formation at extraordinary speed. His description of their flight path — 'like a saucer skipping across water' — coined the term 'flying saucer' and launched the modern UFO era.
Kenneth Arnold was an experienced pilot and businessman, not a crackpot. He estimated the objects were traveling at 1,200 mph — far faster than any known aircraft of the day — and described their movement as undulating, like a chain of geese. He reported the sighting to the Civil Aeronautics Authority when he landed.
The Army Air Forces investigated and issued a statement, but the explanation was unsatisfying. Arnold's sighting was followed by a wave of similar reports from around the country, and within weeks the term "flying saucer" had entered the American lexicon. The Roswell incident occurred just weeks later.
Aviation has always had an intimate relationship with the unexplained. From the "Foo Fighters" reported by WWII bomber crews to the Navy's UAP encounters documented in recent years, pilots have seen things in the sky that defy easy explanation. The history of aviation and the history of aerial mysteries are intertwined.
Kenneth Arnold saw something that changed aviation history — whatever it was. At Cleared4Tees, we celebrate pilots who keep their eyes open.
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