In the fields, east of Brampton, close to hangar 12 of the Royal Airforce where WO II Spitfires were stabled, four men were running around and finally lined up with 5 inch space between them.
Each one was holding some sort of bright coloured disc in his hand. Then after quite a long time they simultaneously started to run forward, lifting the coloured discs right in front of them. Suddenly they whipped them into the air. Then I witnessed an extraordinarily spectacular and poetic phenomenon. The discs floated horizontally in the air before they slowly rose, turned and touched the ground tenderly. It only lasted 8-10 seconds and then it was over.
Dr. Stetton later explained how it works.
‘The flying disc is getting a vertical stabilizing angular momentum on his position in space because it’s turning around. The elevator force on the disc is generated in the same way as with an ordinary asymmetrical wing profile, namely through the difference in force between the lower part and the upper side.’
The name “Frisbee” was given by staff-lieutenant Douglas More.