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,- C00174708 to the aircraft. It flew after it as if it were attached to it--at an altitude of 10,000 meters at a speed of 800 kilometers per hour. "An honorary esoort," Cherkashin muttered, "what an honor tor us ••• " Inside the oloud little lights "sparkled"--they blinked on and ott like the string of lights on a New Year tree. Then fiery Zigzags glided horizontallY. The navigator conscientiously reported everything to the ground. The controller's excited voice was heard to respond: "I am observing the northern lights on the horizon. Where do you see your cloud?" The navigator respo~ded. "It ooinoides," the oontroller said. The cloud continued to ohange. A "tail" sr... out of it, like a tornado--wide at the top and thin at the ground. A "oomma" was tormed. Then the tail began rising "to the horizon" and the cloud ohanged trom an elliptioal shape into a quadrangular one. "Look," the oopilot said, "it's im1tating us." Indeed, they were now being esoorted by a sharp-nosed "oloud airplane"-- without wings, with a tapered tail. ,It was shining with yellow and green light. There was a sense ot a dense nuoleus where the real airoraft's nOZZle --------------------was81tuated-~- ----------------- --_____________________ _ A tlight attendant entered the oockpit. "The passengers are interested in knowing what is tlying alongside us." Cherkashin sighed: "Tell them it's a cloud ot some kind. The yellow is city lights breaking through frOllJ below. The green... tell them it's the northern lights." At this time one more real airoratt entered the Minsk controller's oontrol area. A Tu-13~ from Leningrad was flY.ing in the direction opposite to that being flown by the orew from Tallin. About 100 kilometers separated the two airliners. It was impossible not to notioe the huge oloud airplane from such a distanoe. However. the oommander ot the other "Tu" [Tupolev aircratt] responded to Cherkashin's question that he ••• observes nothing. The Minsk oontroller, who now saw the cloud airplane, gave the Leningrad crew the coordinates, the direotion in whioh they shOUld deteot the unusual phenomenon. But it was as it they were blind. And at a distanoe ot onlY about 15 kilometers betore the enoounter they reoovered their sight. They desoribed the oloud airplane exaotlY. Muoh later. in attempting to eXPlain to themselves what they had seen, .. ... .. ~ "~ ., '., .~ ~... ~, ....
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