Giancarlo Cecconi

Giancarlo Cecconi (born 1933 in Florence, Italy) is a former Italian Air Force marshal pilot renowned for his June 18, 1979, encounter with a UFO. Flying a G-91R reconnaissance aircraft from Treviso Sant'Angelo Airport, he intercepted an unidentified object detected by Istrana radar over a prohibited area. Approaching within 70-80 meters at 300 knots, Cecconi captured it in 80-82 photographs using onboard cameras, noting its rigidity, lack of turbulence, up-and-down movements of 1,000 feet, a small white dome on top, and a blue trail reported by ground control. Airport staff observed via binoculars as the object climbed to 13,000 feet before vanishing from radar. Initially discreet while on active duty until 1983, he later shared details with ufologists, confirming photos published in Epoca magazine as his own, countering hoax claims. His testimony and images remain key in Italian UFO research.