URECAT - UFO Related Entities Catalog

URECAT is a formal catalog of UFO related entities sightings reports with the goal of providing quality information for accurate studies of the topic. Additional information, corrections and reviews are welcome at patrick.gross@inbox.com, please state if you wish to be credited for your contribution or not. The main page of the URECAT catalog is here.

APRIL 24, 1909, FLORENCE, TUSCANY, ITALY, SEVERAL PEOPLE:

Brief summary of the event and follow-up:

An Italian ufologist mentioned in 1991 an old "airship" news cutting about a "white balloon" seen passing high over Firenze, Italy, on April 24, 1909, with two white-dressed people on board.

Basic information table:

Case number:	URECAT-001471
Date of event:	April 24, 1909
Earliest report of event:	1909?
Delay of report:	Day, days?
Witness reported via:	Not known.
First alleged record by:	Newspaper.
First certain record by:	Ufologist Paolo Fiorino.
First alleged record type:	Newspaper.
First certain record type:	Ufologist.
This file created on:	July 21, 2013
This file last updated on:	July 21, 2013
Country of event:	Italy
State/Department:	Tuscany
Type of location:	Above city.
Lighting conditions:	Not reported.
UFO observed:	Yes
UFO arrival observed:	Not reported
UFO departure observed:	Not reported
UFO/Entity Relation:	Certain
Witnesses numbers:	Not reported.
Witnesses ages:	Not reported.
Witnesses types:	Not reported.
Photograph(s):	No.
Witnesses drawing:	No.
Witnesses-approved drawing:	No.

Number of entities:	2
Type of entities:	Human
Entities height:	Not reported
Entities outfit type:	Yes.
Entities outfit color:	White.
Entities skin color:	Not reported.
Entities body:	Not reported. Persons.
Entities head:	Not reported.
Entities eyes:	Not reported.
Entities mouth:	Not reported.
Entities nose:	Not reported.
Entities feet:	Not reported.
Entities arms:	Not reported.
Entities fingers:	Not reported.
Entities fingers number:	Not reported.
Entities hair:	Not reported.
Entities voice:	None reported.
Entities actions:	Are in UFO.
Entities/witness interactions:	None.
Witness(es) reactions:	Observed, went.
Witness(es) feelings:	Not reported.
Witness(es) interpretation:	Not reported.
Explanation category:	Probable airship.
Explanation certainty:	Medium.

Narratives:

[Ref. pf1:] PAOLO FIORINO:

The ufologist says an old "airship" newscutting was about a "white balloon" seen passing high over Firenze on April 24, 1909, with two white-dressed people on board.

[Ref. ar1:] ALBERT ROSALES:

Albert Rosales indicates that in Firenze, Italy, on April 24, 1909, in daytime, "Several witnesses saw a white balloon-like object passing high over the area, two white dressed figures could be seen onboard the craft. No other information."

Albert Rosales indicates that the source is "Paolo Fiorino, UFO Universe Oct/Nov 1991".

[Ref. ud1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:

The website indicates that on 24 April 1909 at 09:20 in Firenze (Florence), Italy, "White ovoid passes, two men dressed in white seen inside."

And: "At 9:20 in the morning a white ovoid shaped flying object was seen in the skies over Florence, Italy . Two men dressed in white suits were seen inside."

And: "An object was observed. Occupants of the craft were seen. One white ovoid object was observed by numerous witnesses in a city for over one minute. Two humanoids, each wearing a white suit, were seen."

The source is indicated as "Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002."

Points to consider:

Gaetano Arturo Crocco (1877-1986), founder of the Italian Rocket Society, built a semi-rigid airship in 1908. His "Crocco-Ricaldoni N1" (picture below) was the first fo fly in Italy.

On October 31, 1908, piloting his N1, supplied with a rudder and direction indicators, he flew from Vigna di Valle to Rome and back, covering 50 miles in one hour and a half.

I was unable to find a document tracking flights or this airship, showing a flight of this airship over Firenze on April 24, 1909, but I feel this possibility should not be discarded, especially when the description, meager as it is, seems to be that of an airship indeed.

List of issues:

Id:	Topic:	Severity:	Date noted:	Raised by:	Noted by:	Description:	Proposal:	Status:
1	Data	Severe	July 21, 2013	Patrick Gross	Patrick Gross	Primary source not known and not available.	Help needed.	Opened.
2	Ufology	Severe	July 21, 2013	Patrick Gross	Patrick Gross	Case without strangeness.	Help needed.	Opened.
2	Ufology	Severe	July 21, 2013	Patrick Gross	Patrick Gross	Missing all basic data: hour, duration, distance, speed, direction, shape, altitude, witnesses...	Help needed.	Opened.

Evaluation:

Probable airship.

Sources references:

* = Source I checked.
? = Source I am told about but could not check yet. Help appreciated.

[pf1] * Paolo Fiorino, in the UFO magazine UFO Universe, October / November 1991.
[---] ? "*U* Computer Database", compiled by Larry Hatch, USA, circa 2002.
[ar1] * "1909 Humanoid Reports, compiled by Albert Rosales, circa 2006, at www.aforteanosla.com.ar/albert/anuarios/1909%20Humanoid%20Reports.pdf
[pf1] * "Humanoids in the Early Years - Italian CE-III's between 1900 and 1950", by Paolo Fiorino, 2007.
[ud1] * "24 Apr 1909 - Firenze (Florence), Italy", web page by the UFOdna website, circa 2009, at thecid.com/ufo/uf16/uf0/160524.htm

Document history:

Authoring

Main Author:	Patrick Gross
Contributors:	None
Reviewers:	None
Editor:	Patrick Gross

Changes history

Version:	Created/Changed By:	Date:	Change Description:
0.1	Patrick Gross	July 21, 2013	Creation, [pf1], [ar1], [ud1].
1.0	Patrick Gross	July 21, 2013	First published.

This page was last updated on July 21, 2013