(my July 2006 UFO History Keys column for the Ufologist magazine) "FLYING SAUCERS" entered the mainstream in 1947. Initially perceived as an American passing fad newspapers in Australia picked up on the controversy. It wasn't long before locals were reporting their own "saucer" sightings. There were many reports before 1947 but it was this wide public manifestation and reporting that ushered in the "flying saucer" era which in turn would be recognised and defined as the UFO phenomenon. My web site http://www.theozfiles.com/ documents some of the Australian pre 1947 sightings along with a few 1947 reports.An example of the Australian reporting...