Flying saucer

As a Flying Saucer (English flying saucer ) alleged discus - or saucer-shaped flying objects of unknown origin are referred to. They are usually described as silver or metallic, often with colored lights or surrounded by a halo. Attributed to them being able to hover, avoid sudden acceleration and decelerate to reach very high speeds and conventional aircraft generally to be superior to the ability.

Most reports and photos of flying saucers have proved errors or forgeries. Evidence for the existence of flying saucers in the sense of flying machines extraterrestrial origin does not exist.

In the science-fiction literature and science fiction movies especially from the mid-20th century, the representation Flying Saucers is popular.

Term origin

The origin of the term flying saucer were press releases after a sighting of several flying objects of unknown origin in the vicinity of Mount Rainier (USA) on 24 June 1947. Witness Kenneth Arnold, an American businessman and amateur pilot, is in the first newspaper reports with a description of the objects cited as saucer -like aircraft or shaped like saucers. Out of the nine objects Arnold described eight objects as flat and round, as well as an object rather than crescent- shaped. The term flying saucer ( flying saucer ) thus became a fixed term for similar sightings.

In a radio interview from 1950, however, Arnold denies having used the term saucer for a description of the appearance of the objects. He had always described the objects as disc. The term flying saucer had been a misunderstanding:

" ... When I Described How They flew, I said thatthey flew Like They take a saucer and throw it across the water. Most of the newspapers misunderstood and misquoted that too. They said that I said that theywere saucer -like; I said thatthey flew in a saucer -like fashion. "

" ... When I described how they flew, I said that they fly, as if you take a plate and let him jump over the water. Most newspapers misunderstood this and quoted me wrong. They wrote that I said they were like a plate; I said they were going like a plate. "

Use of language and symbolism

Unidentified flying objects ( UFOs) are described relatively frequently ( in 30 % of cases), similar to a flying saucer. On this basis, the concept is discussed first as a synonym for UFO in the German vernacular, called today but usually the stereotype of UFOs as extraterrestrial spacecraft civilizations.

Against this background form in cartoons aliens ( often depicted as little green men ) in front of a landed flying saucer and an immediately understandable icon, which associates a naive or impartial external view of the caricatured cultural aspect.