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THE FLYING BOVINE. IT'S A RUSSIAN SPY

There are some happenings that one never forgets and this is one. I wrote it for a local flying club and I think some A forum readers may enjoy the funny side.

The Flying Bovine. Yes, it’s true. A flying moo cow. It sank a Japanese fishing boat. And no, it was not a failed over the moon attempt by NASA. Nor was it intended as a military weapon by any western defence force. It was launched by the Russian military. You, the reader think it’s all fiction or fantasy well don't, just keep reading.

This incident was reported in many newspapers all over the world. It’s one of those things that one never forgets because it’s ridgy didge.
In 1997, the crew of a Japanese fishing boat was pulled from the Sea of Japan after clinging to the boat's wreckage for several hours. They were immediately arrested after authorities interrogated them about the boat's fate. To a man, they claimed a cow had flown at them, apparently coming from nowhere, and struck the boat amidships, resulting in a huge hole and its rapid sinking.
The crew remained in prison for several weeks until Japanese authorities were contacted by several highly embarrassed Russian air force officials. It turned out that the crew of a Russian cargo plane had stolen a cow that wandered near their Siberian airfield and forced it onto their plane before they took off for a flight home. Once airborne, the cow apparently panicked and starting rampaging through the cargo hold, causing the crew also to panic because it was affecting the plane's stability. They solved the problem by shoving the cow out of the hold while crossing the Sea of Japan at 30,000 feet.

Unfortunately, following Rules 5 (Look-out),and 7 (Risk of collision) won't keep you out of trouble when you encounter a flying bovine.

Source: Australian Financial Review, 16 May2000