CISU*FLASH

Magazine Overview

Title: CISU*FLASH
Issue: No. 4
Date: 30 September 1996
Publisher: Centro Italiano Studi Ufologici (CISU)
Content: Italian UFO News in Brief

Introduction

The editor apologizes for a two-week delay, explaining that the concentration was on finishing the latest UFO magazine issue No. 18 and the 52nd issue of the CISU Notizie UFO newsletter. To compensate, this issue provides more content than usual about the Italian UFO scene.

Recent Italian Sightings

Udine Sighting

On September 2nd at 5:15 a.m., a motorist on the road between Azzida and Purgessimo (Udine) reported seeing five connected green balls in the sky that spread away in a few seconds. This was reported by Messaggero Veneto on September 4th.

Pavia Sighting

A few days later, at 9:30 p.m., near Tromello (Pavia), a council clerk driving his daughter and two friends encountered a giant myriad of lights, described as a flying merry-go-round, hovering about 150 meters above the ground. The object then moved away silently towards the Remondò Air Force radar station. The radar station later denied any detection. This incident was reported by Provincia pavese on September 10th and investigated by Claudio Cavallini.

Identified Flying Objects

Marina di Massa Incident

The ball of fire that frightened campers in Marina di Massa (Massa Carrara) on August 22nd was identified as a small hoax-balloon released by foreign tourists. The beach owner observed the balloon taking off, and after the nylon rope was cut, the object flew away like a fiery ball. This was reported by the ANSA news agency on August 26th.

Baia Domizia Incident

CISU investigators provided a similar explanation for a red light seen and video-recorded at another campsite in Baia Domizia (Caserta) on August 19th. It was unofficially confirmed to be a military balloon that had fallen into the sea. This was reported by Il Mattino on September 12th, with an investigation by Giorgio Russolillo and Giovanni Ascione.

Treviso Province Reports

There are renewed rumors that U.S. Air Force F-117 stealth aircraft might be the cause of reports from several locations in the Treviso province on the evening of August 21st. Witnesses described a dark triangular shape with lights, moving fast and silently. However, military sources consistently deny the presence of any F-117s in that region. This was reported by La Tribuna di Treviso on August 26th.

Sightings Over the Cities

Naples Sighting

On the evening of September 20th, dozens of calls alerted the police and newspapers about four lights moving rhythmically to and fro in the cloudy sky of Naples (Napoli). These were actually caused by sky-tracker lights from a concert by pop singer Claudio Baglioni. This was reported by Il Tempo on September 22nd, with a report by Giorgio Russolillo.

Milan Sighting

On the following evening, in Milan, several people witnessed (and unsuccessfully tried to photograph) three moving and fading lights in the sky. These lights exhibited characteristics of disco-lights. This was reported by Corriere della sera on September 23rd, with a report by Giancarlo D'Alessandro.

Errata Corrige

Terry Colvin e-mailed to correct an error in CISU*Flash No. 2. Italian ufologist Mario Cingolani died from a heart attack, not a heartache. The editor apologizes for the mistake and thanks Terry for the correction.

All mistakes, faults, and typos in CISU*FLASH are to be credited to Edoardo Russo, who is in charge of CISU Foreign Relations.

Permissions and Availability

CISU*FLASH, in whole or in part, may be freely quoted, copied, reproduced, stored, distributed, and retrieved, provided that the Centro Italiano Studi Ufologici (CISU) is reported as the source. CISU*FLASH and ITUFOR are also posted on the Internet and available via a mailing list. To subscribe, send a message to the e-mailbox with "SUBSCRIBE ITUFOR <name surname>" in the body. Back issues can be found on the WWW via the homepage.

A weekly e-zine in Italian, called UFOTEL, is also available. To subscribe, send a message to the e-mailbox with "SUBSCRIBE UFOTEL <name surname>" in the body.

About C.I.S.U.

Established in 1986, the Centro Italiano Studi Ufologici (CISU) is the largest and most active UFO organization in Italy. Since 1988, it has been the sole Italian member of the International Committee on UFO Research (ICUR). CISU is a non-profit association dedicated to promoting the scientific study of UFO phenomena in Italy, circulating information about UFO phenomena and studies, and coordinating national activities for data collection and studying.

Contact information for CISU is provided: P. O. Box 82, I-10100 Torino, Italia. Phone: +39 (11) 329.02.79 (24 hours UFO Hotline), Fax: +39 (11) 54.50.33, E-mail: [email protected], Website: http://www.arpnet.it/~ufo.

The issue also promotes UFO-ON-LINE, a UFO website edited in English by Maurizio Verga on behalf of CISU, with a URL provided: http://oasi.shiny.it/Homes/CISU/english/ufol.htm. The site had over 40,000 visitors to its English pages and another 40,000 to the Italian pages in the first seven months of 1996.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring theme is the reporting and investigation of UFO phenomena in Italy. The editorial stance appears to be one of diligent investigation, seeking to identify mundane explanations for sightings while also acknowledging unexplained events. The publication aims to inform the public about UFO news and studies in Italy, promoting a scientific approach to the subject.