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Introduction ‘can assure you that flying saucers, given speeds in excess of Mach 2. After landing, that they exist, are not constructed by any Arnold filed a report, convinced that he had power on earth’. seen a formation of top-secret military aircraft on a test flight. Not surprisingly, the media picked up on this, wasting no time in promot- ing the idea that these mysterious craft had come from a distant world. Just mention the term ‘Flying Saucer’ during Arnold described the objects as behaving any conversation and you can be fairly certain _ like ‘saucers skipping across water’ and this it will conjure up images of an alien space- _ minor detail was fully utilised by a journalist craft. People inevitably visualise the kind of — called Bill Bequette who called them flying shiny flying discs that were portrayed in early _ saucers. Although the term flying saucer was 1950s Hollywood movies, such as The Day already in limited use, Bequette’s report The Earth Stood Still or perhaps Earth vs The _ caught the public’s imagination and the age Flying Saucers. Science fiction films featuring _ of extraterrestrial visitation was born. Arnold flying saucers have closely reflected public was widely regarded as a highly credible wit- curiosity about ‘Unidentified Flying Object’ ness and nobody could really fault his sight- (UFO) phenomena, which can be traced _ ing. Nevertheless, itis hard toimagine howhe __ Kenneth Arnold holds an illustration of (one of back to 24th June 1947 when an unexplained _ was able to see any object detail at ranges sian ts Cencade Mcuntaion, Washiogson Siete sighting took place in America’s Washington quoted as 25-100 miles (40-160km), which in 1947. The crescent shape is somewhat at odds State that helped to create an entirely new _ was a factor picked up by professional inves- _ with his account of the sighting and appears to be worldwide movement. tigators like Dr J Allan Hynek (1910-1986) and _ an artist’s visualisation. However this event was On the day in question, pilot Kenneth Dr Donald H Menzel (1901-1976). responsible for creating worldwide interest in Arnold (1915-1984) was crossing the Cascade In 1997, researcher Philip Klass (1919- UFOs. via Bill Rose Mountains when he sighted what appeared 2005) came up with a convincing theory that to be nine semi-disc shaped objects in the Arnold had seen falling meteor fragments and —_ Exactly what it was that Arnold observed distance. Arnold calculated that they were a couple of years later James Easton sug- remains a mystery that may never be travelling at high supersonic speed and he — gested that Arnold’s UFOs were probably resolved, but the Cascade Sighting was was well aware that no military aircraft nearby white pelicans, although this proposal swiftly followed by the infamous Roswell Inci- existed that was capable of breaking the was treated with total ridicule by most of the | dent, which many believe to have been the sound barrier, let alone reaching or sustaining believers in an alien presence on Earth. crash of an extraterrestrial flying saucer and - A — US President Harry S Truman; White House Press Conference April 1950 flan ne . nt a dahe ‘can assure you that flying saucers, given that they exist, are not constructed by any power on earth’. — US President Harry S Truman; White House Press Conference April 1950 Kenneth Arnold holds an illustration of (one of nine) mysterious craft he claimed to have sighted crossing the Cascade Mountains, Washington State in 1947. The crescent shape is somewhat at odds with his account of the sighting and appears to be an artist’s visualisation. However this event was responsible for creating worldwide interest in UFOs. via Bill Rose worldwide movement. On the day in question, pilot Kenneth Arnold (1915-1984) was crossing the Cascade Mountains when he sighted what appeared to be nine semi-disc shaped objects in the distance. Arnold calculated that they were travelling at high supersonic speed and he was well aware that no military aircraft existed that was capable of breaking the sound barrier, let alone reaching or sustaining to be nine semi-disc shaped objects in the Arnold had seen falling meteor fragments and —_ Exactly what it was that Arnold observed distance. Arnold calculated that they were a couple of years later James Easton sug- remains a mystery that may never be travelling at high supersonic speed and he — gested that Arnold’s UFOs were probably resolved, but the Cascade Sighting was was well aware that no military aircraft nearby white pelicans, although this proposal swiftly followed by the infamous Roswell Inci- existed that was capable of breaking the was treated with total ridicule by most of the | dent, which many believe to have been the sound barrier, let alone reaching or sustaining believers in an alien presence on Earth. crash of an extraterrestrial flying saucer and the subsequent recovery of exotic debris and several alien bodies by the USAAF. On 3rd July 1947, William ‘Mac’ Brazel, who managed the J B Foster Ranch near Corona, New Mexico discovered a quantity of unusual debris spread across a field, which he took to be the fresh remains of an aircraft that had exploded in mid-air. He reported this to the authorities in nearby Roswell, who contacted the USAAF. They carried out an investigation and several days later made a startling announcement that a flying saucer had been recovered. As the ramifications of this aston- ishingly ill-considered press release became apparent, senior USAAF officials began to panic and insisted they had found nothing more than a weather balloon. Public interest finally waned and the story was largely forgotten until Illustration of one of the UFOs allegedly sighted by Kenneth Arnold in 1947. The crescent shape is an 1994, when Congressman Steven Schiff forced artist’s interpretation of what Arnold saw. via Bill Rose the USAF to reopen the Roswell Case. 7 » . — ant Illustration of one of the UFOs allegedly sighted by Kenneth Arnold in 1947. The crescent shape is an artist’s interpretation of what Arnold saw. via Bill Rose Secret Projects: Flying Saucer Aircraft