How did flying saucer become the name?

Introduction

The phrase “flying saucer” did not begin as a carefully defined description of a mysterious aircraft. It emerged from the rapid newspaper coverage that followed pilot Kenneth Arnold’s sighting near Mount Rainier, Washington, on 24 June 1947. Arnold said he had seen nine fast-moving objects crossing the Cascade region. In explaining their movement to reporters, he compared them to a saucer skipping across water. Within days, newspapers and wire services had transformed that comparison into a label for the objects themselves. The result was one of the most influential pieces of media shorthand in modern American culture. [National Air and Space Museum]airandspace.si.edu1947 year flying saucerNational Air and Space Museum1947: Year of the Flying Saucer24 Jun 2022 — Kenneth A. Arnold stands in front of the CalAir A-2 light airpl…

For Washington’s UFO history, this matters because the famous term was created not by a government investigation or scientific finding, but through the interaction between a witness, local reporters and a national news system. The phrase helped shape how later witnesses described unusual sights in the sky, turning a regional aviation story near Mount Rainier into the starting point of the modern flying saucer era. [National Air and Space Museum]airandspace.si.edu1947 year flying saucerNational Air and Space Museum1947: Year of the Flying Saucer24 Jun 2022 — Kenneth A. Arnold stands in front of the CalAir A-2 light airpl… [Spokesman-Review]spokesman.comsalesman launched ufo age a portland mansSpokesman-ReviewSalesman Launched Ufo Age A Portland Man's Innocent…22 Jun 1997 — The “flying saucer” age began 50 years ago in the Pa…

What Arnold said about skipping motion

Arnold’s own description was more complicated than the popular version that survived. After landing, he spoke with reporters in Pendleton, Oregon, about the objects he had seen near Mount Rainier. In later years he repeatedly argued that he had not meant the objects were literally saucer-shaped. Instead, he said he was describing how they moved: “like a saucer if you skip it across the water”. The comparison referred to a bouncing, weaving or skipping motion. [open.ac.uk]open.ac.ukreligious studiesFlying Saucers and Religious Studies26 Jun 2017 — They seemed to move with an odd bobbing movement, which Arnold would later describe as… [3Wikipedia 3Facebook]

This distinction is important because Arnold’s descriptions of shape were not always identical. Some early accounts referred to flat or disc-like objects, while others mentioned forms resembling crescents, pie plates or shapes with a rear extension. The movement comparison was only one part of a broader attempt to describe something he believed was unusual and difficult to identify. [Scott Bakal]scottbakal.comSource details in endnotes.

The problem for reporters was that movement is harder to summarise than shape. A headline saying that objects “moved like a saucer skipping across water” is less immediate than simply calling them “flying saucers”. In the fast-moving newspaper environment of 1947, the shorter phrase proved far more memorable. [National Air and Space Museum]airandspace.si.edu1947 year flying saucerNational Air and Space Museum1947: Year of the Flying Saucer24 Jun 2022 — Kenneth A. Arnold stands in front of the CalAir A-2 light airpl…

How early newspaper coverage changed the wording

The first key interviews took place in Pendleton with reporters from the East Oregonian, including Bill Bequette and Nolan Skiff. Later retellings often reduced the story to a simple claim that Bequette misquoted Arnold, but the historical record is more complicated. Researchers who have reviewed the earliest articles note that the exact phrase “flying saucer” does not clearly appear in Bequette’s first reports. Instead, descriptions such as “saucer-like” entered circulation through a mix of interviews, rewrites and wire-service distribution. [Wikipedia]WikipediaKenneth Arnold UFO sightingedit. Years later, Arnold claimed he told Bill Bequette that "they flew erratic, like a saucer if you skip it across the water." Arnold…

What happened next shows how news language can evolve extremely quickly. Once the story moved beyond the Pacific Northwest, editors searched for a concise way to present it. Headlines increasingly emphasised the saucer comparison. A Chicago newspaper headline on 26 June 1947 used the phrase “Flying Saucers”, helping cement the term in public view only two days after the sighting. [Wikimedia Commons]commons.wikimedia.orgFile:Chicago Sun 1947 06 26 2 Flying Saucer headline th.jpgPerhaps first-use of term "flying saucer" in headline from Chicago Sun about Kenneth Arnold sighting, June 26, 1947 Kenneth Arnold UFO si…Published: June 26, 1947

The speed of this transformation reflected the structure of post-war American journalism. Local reporting was rapidly redistributed through national wire networks, allowing a striking phrase to spread across hundreds of newspapers almost simultaneously. By the end of June 1947, many readers knew little about Arnold’s detailed account near Mount Rainier, but they knew the phrase “flying saucer”. Facebook [Wikimedia Commons]commons.wikimedia.orgFile:Chicago Sun 1947 06 26 2 Flying Saucer headline th.jpgPerhaps first-use of term "flying saucer" in headline from Chicago Sun about Kenneth Arnold sighting, June 26, 1947 Kenneth Arnold UFO si…Published: June 26, 1947

Why the “misquote” story remains disputed

Many UFO histories present the matter as settled: Arnold described movement, reporters misunderstood him, and the flying saucer was born. There is evidence supporting that interpretation, including Arnold’s own later statements. [Wikipedia]Wikipedia1947 flying disc craze1947 flying disc crazeNearly a year before the flying disc craze, Amazing Stories featured… Original saucer witness Kenneth Arnold… [Facebook]facebook.comIt's a bird!It's a bird!

However, some historians and researchers have pointed out that surviving early interviews contain references not only to motion but also to saucer-like or disc-like appearance. In other words, the newspaper language may not have been entirely invented. The earliest reporting suggests a mixture of shape descriptions, movement analogies and editorial simplification rather than a single clean error. [Scott Bakal]scottbakal.comSource details in endnotes. [The Daily Grail]dailygrail.comThe Daily GrailReturn of the Flying Saucers: Re-evaluating the Kenneth…19 Jul 2018 — Neither of these is the “skipping on water” simil…

That uncertainty has become part of the story itself. The debate illustrates how difficult it can be to reconstruct exactly what was said during fast-moving interviews, especially after decades of retelling. The famous phrase may have emerged from misunderstanding, but it also grew from genuine ambiguities in Arnold’s original descriptions. [The Daily Grail]dailygrail.comThe Daily GrailReturn of the Flying Saucers: Re-evaluating the Kenneth…19 Jul 2018 — Neither of these is the “skipping on water” simil…

Why the phrase shaped later UFO reports

The lasting importance of “flying saucer” lies in what happened after the newspapers adopted it. Once readers were given a vivid visual label, later witnesses had a ready-made way to describe unusual aerial objects. Reports from around the United States multiplied in the weeks after Arnold’s sighting, and many used the same language. [Facebook]facebook.comIdaho Public TelevisionArnold told a reporter the objects flew "like a saucer if you skip it across the water." He later clarified that h… [Wikipedia]WikipediaKenneth Arnold UFO sightingedit. Years later, Arnold claimed he told Bill Bequette that "they flew erratic, like a saucer if you skip it across the water." Arnold…

This does not prove that later witnesses were mistaken, nor does it prove that they saw the same thing Arnold saw. What it demonstrates is the power of a shared cultural image. Before June 1947 there was no widely recognised category called a “flying saucer”. After the headlines spread, people who encountered unusual lights, reflections, aircraft or unexplained objects increasingly described them through that new framework. [HowStuffWorks]science.howstuffworks.comHowStuffWorksThe Arrival of Flying SaucersIt was Kenneth Arnold's report of "flying saucers" over Mount Rainier, Washington, on June 24… [Wikipedia For sceptics]WikipediaKenneth Arnold UFO sightingedit. Years later, Arnold claimed he told Bill Bequette that "they flew erratic, like a saucer if you skip it across the water." Arnold…, this is one reason the Arnold case remains significant. The sighting itself may never be fully explained, but the media response offers a clear example of how public expectations can influence later reports. A memorable phrase can shape what witnesses notice, how journalists frame stories and how the public imagines unexplained events. [Mystery of Existence]absentofi.orgMystery of ExistenceFlying saucers - Mystery of Existence24 Jan 2023 — According to Arnold, he reported that the UFOs skipped like a sauc… [Reddit Within Washington’s UFO history]reddit.comTIL That the phrase 'flying saucer' used as a substitute for…TIL That the phrase 'flying saucer' used as a substitute for an UFO is th…, the most enduring legacy of Arnold’s flight near Mount Rainier may therefore be linguistic rather than physical. Whether he saw distant aircraft, atmospheric effects, an unusual natural phenomenon or something still unidentified, the newspapers turned a comparison about motion into a visual category. That category became the defining symbol of the post-war UFO era: the flying saucer. [National Air and Space Museum]airandspace.si.edu1947 year flying saucerNational Air and Space Museum1947: Year of the Flying Saucer24 Jun 2022 — Kenneth A. Arnold stands in front of the CalAir A-2 light airpl… [Spokesman-Review]spokesman.comsalesman launched ufo age a portland mansSpokesman-ReviewSalesman Launched Ufo Age A Portland Man's Innocent…22 Jun 1997 — The “flying saucer” age began 50 years ago in the Pa…

Amazon book picks

Further Reading

Books and field guides related to How did flying saucer become the name?. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.

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The UFO Controversy in America

By David Michael Jacobs

Examines media influence and the growth of UFO culture.

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Watch the Skies!

By Curtis Peebles

Tracks how language and reporting shaped the UFO phenomenon.

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The Flying Saucers are Real

By Donald E. Keyhoe

Represents the early cultural impact of the flying saucer label.

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The Coming of the Saucers

By Kenneth Arnold, Ray Palmer

Written by Arnold and tied to the creation of the famous term.

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Browse more on Amazon: The UFO Controversy in America Watch the Skies! The Flying Saucers are Real

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Endnotes

1. Source: Wikipedia
   Title: Kenneth Arnold UFO sighting
   Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Arnold_UFO_sighting
   Source snippet

   edit. Years later, Arnold claimed he told Bill Bequette that "they flew erratic, like a saucer if you skip it across the water." Arnold...

2. Source: spokesman.com
   Title: salesman launched ufo age a portland mans
   Link: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/1997/jun/22/salesman-launched-ufo-age-a-portland-mans/
   Source snippet

   Spokesman-ReviewSalesman Launched Ufo Age A Portland Man's Innocent...22 Jun 1997 — The “flying saucer” age began 50 years ago in the Pa...

3. Source: facebook.com
   Title: It’s a bird!
   Link: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanExperiencePBS/posts/its-a-bird-its-a-plane-itswhat-is-that-on-june-24-1947-pilot-kenneth-arnold-saw-/1116637253845221/

4. Source: facebook.com
   Link: https://www.facebook.com/idahoptv/posts/some-may-describe-these-objects-as-boomerang-looking-but-to-idaho-pilot-ken-arno/10158301321966307/
   Source snippet

   Idaho Public TelevisionArnold told a reporter the objects flew "like a saucer if you skip it across the water." He later clarified that h...

5. Source: open.ac.uk
   Title: religious studies
   Link: https://www.open.ac.uk/blogs/religious-studies/?p=446
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   Flying Saucers and Religious Studies26 Jun 2017 — They seemed to move with an odd bobbing movement, which Arnold would later describe as...

6. Source: commons.wikimedia.org
   Title: File:Chicago Sun 1947 06 26 2 Flying Saucer headline th.jpg
   Link: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AChicago_Sun_1947-06-26-2_Flying_Saucer_headline-th.jpg
   Source snippet

   Perhaps first-use of term "flying saucer" in headline from Chicago Sun about Kenneth [Arnold sighting]({{ 'arnold-sighting-f2f1b1/' | relative_url }}), June 26, 1947 Kenneth Arnold UFO si...

   Published: June 26, 1947

7. Source: facebook.com
   Title: on this day in 1947 what many consider to be the first modern ufo sighting took
   Link: https://www.facebook.com/libraryofcongress/posts/on-this-day-in-1947-what-many-consider-to-be-the-first-modern-ufo-sighting-took-/1150298620475987/
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   FacebookThe Library of CongressOn this day, June 24th in 1947, American businessman Kenneth Arnold saw a number of objects “flying like s...

8. Source: Wikipedia
   Title: 1947 flying disc craze
   Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1947_flying_disc_craze
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   1947 flying disc crazeNearly a year before the flying disc craze, Amazing Stories featured... Original saucer witness Kenneth Arnold...

9. Source: science.howstuffworks.com
   Link: https://science.howstuffworks.com/space/aliens-ufos/ufo-history1.htm
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   HowStuffWorksThe Arrival of Flying SaucersIt was Kenneth Arnold's report of "flying saucers" over Mount Rainier, Washington, on June 24...

10. Source: reddit.com
    Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/iakobd/til_that_the_phrase_flying_saucer_used_as_a/
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    TIL That the phrase 'flying saucer' used as a substitute for...TIL That the phrase 'flying saucer' used as a substitute for an UFO is th...

11. Source: reddit.com
    Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/ufo/comments/vhee5w/kenneth_arnold_most_likely_did_see_flying_discs/
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    bjects to a reporter for the United Press that the mix-up occurred.Read more...

12. Source: reddit.com
    Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/zrowqo/kenneth_arnold_and_his_description_of_ufos/
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    Kenneth Arnold and his description of UFOsHe describes them flying like 'saucers' NOT their shape but how they skipped across the sky lik...

13. Source: spokesman.com
    Title: flying saucers still evasive 70 years after pilots
    Link: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/jun/25/flying-saucers-still-evasive-70-years-after-pilots/
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    Flying saucers still evasive 70 years after pilot's report25 Jun 2017 — Boise businessman Ken Arnold had no idea he would change the worl...

14. Source: youtube.com
    Title: 1st UFO Encounter Podcast
    Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ8eLw7YCMg
    Published: June 24, 1947

15. Source: youtube.com
    Title: Kenneth Arnold
    Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyyf2i9yjqQ

16. Source: airandspace.si.edu
    Title: 1947 year flying saucer
    Link: https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/1947-year-flying-saucer
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    National Air and Space Museum1947: Year of the Flying Saucer24 Jun 2022 — Kenneth A. Arnold stands in front of the CalAir A-2 light airpl...

17. Source: scottbakal.com
    Link: https://www.scottbakal.com/kennetharnoldsighting

18. Source: dailygrail.com
    Link: https://www.dailygrail.com/2018/07/return-of-the-flying-saucers-re-evaluating-the-kenneth-arnold-ufo-sighting/
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    The Daily GrailReturn of the Flying Saucers: Re-evaluating the Kenneth...19 Jul 2018 — Neither of these is the “skipping on water” simil...

19. Source: absentofi.org
    Link: https://absentofi.org/2023/01/flying-saucers/
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    Mystery of ExistenceFlying saucers - Mystery of Existence24 Jan 2023 — According to Arnold, he reported that the UFOs skipped like a sauc...

20. Source: eastoregonian.com
    Title: the sighting
    Link: https://eastoregonian.com/2017/06/16/the-sighting/
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    16 Jun 2017 — Boise businessman Ken Arnold had no idea he would change the world when he told reporters in Pendleton he saw nine strange...

Additional References

1. Source: airandspaceforces.com
   Link: https://www.airandspaceforces.com/article/0611ufo/
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   USAF and the UFOsThe Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) era began with a bang on the afternoon of June 24, 1947, in the Cascade mountain ra...

   Published: June 24, 1947

2. Source: militarytimes.com
   Title: flying saucers still evasive 70 years after pilot s report
   Link: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2017/06/25/flying-saucers-still-evasive-70-years-after-pilot-s-report/
   Source snippet

   Flying saucers still evasive 70 years after pilot's report25 Jun 2017 — Boise businessman Ken Arnold had no idea he would change the worl...

3. Source: wired.com
   Title: how ufo sightings became an american obsession
   Link: https://www.wired.com/story/how-ufo-sightings-became-an-american-obsession
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   The period following his sighting saw a surge in UFO sightings across the U.S. This surge, or "flap," is linked to societal fears of inva...

4. Source: medium.com
   Link: https://medium.com/%40michaelmoran/the-surprisingly-bland-origins-of-ufo-lore-1e39280fe956
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   ld said the objects “flew erratic, like a saucer if...Read more...

5. Source: youtube.com
   Title: Where Did The Term ‘Flying Saucer’ Come From? | Mossback’s Northwest
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   Kenneth Arnold UFO Sighting The First UFOs - Jimmy Akin's Mysterious World...

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   UFO Files #1: The First UFO: The Keneth Arnold Case - 1947...

7. Source: instagram.com
   Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CwnPuxRvv5r/
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   On June 24, 1947, amateur pilot Kenneth Arnold was flying...When interviewed by a local newspaper he described the objects as moving lik...

   Published: June 24, 1947

8. Source: youtube.com
   Title: UFO Files #1: The First UFO: The Keneth Arnold Case
   Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiVB5ZpEib0
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   1st UFO Encounter Podcast - Pilot Kenneth Arnold, June 24, 1947...

   Published: June 24, 1947

9. Source: attheu.utah.edu
   Title: world ufo day
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   UFO Day - @theU - The University of Utah26 Jun 2025 — On June 24, 1947, near Washington's Mount Rainier, private pilot Kenneth Arnold saw...

   Published: June 24, 1947

10. Source: instagram.com
    Title: DLSz Y5pz Gmi
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    On this day in 1947, what many consider...It was private pilot Kenneth Arnold of Boise, Idaho who reported seeing flashes and flying obj...