When the pilot saw the cat, reduced power and immediately flew back towards the runway, I wondered how many people watching from the ground were worried that something had gone badly wrong. They must’ve been relieved to learn there was no mechanical fault, and all the passengers (including the cat) were purr-fectly safe.
Also, I wonder if it’s possible for the cat to jump into the cavity of the wing after the pilot has done his checking, and strapped the seat belts for take-off. (Is there another opening, other than the one we see?)
I thought the opposite - that the cat was upset (albeit not terrified) and was just hanging on until it felt safe to move.
Yeah, **Gyrate **I’m with you. You can see the cat meowing at the beginning in a way that looks to me like he’s pretty stressed. I think after that it’s just hanging on. Those forepaws aren’t draped over the strut in relaxation, it’s hanging on for dear life.
I propose changing the wing structure to cardboard boxes to mitigate this in the future.
So, does this prove, conclusively, that the thing Shatner/Lithgow saw on the wing of the plane was not feline?
Or did this saboteur fail miserably?
<snip>
:::"Aw, Isn’t that cute? He’s trying to claw my eyes out.” - Ned Flanders:::
As is well known, cats can fall from arbitrarily high buidlings without damage. But I was first introduced to the idea by the entertainment essay on the back page of an avaiation magazine, where the author recounted all the stories he knew of animals falling or jumping from planes (don’t throw chickens out of a plane…)
If you’re high enough, a cat can jump out of the plane, slow down to terminal volicity, hit the ground running, and back to scrounging for dinner later that day.
Same author also did a great essay on why helicopters should fly witin the specified ground-speed / altitude envelope, so he wasn’t only interested in animals hitting the ground…
Height-Velocity Diagram, aka ‘dead man’s curve’.
I thought it was brave reaching in to get the cat out after the flight. I would have run like hell and let it come out on it’s own, assuming that it would not be happy.
Turkeys are still good, though, right?
If Snoopy can be a WWI flying ACE, then this kitty can be a wingwalker.
That whole ride was really the cat’s meow!
“I can haz peanutz?”