A cat has escaped with at least one of its nine lives after stowing away on an ultra-light aircraft flight.

A video has been posted on YouTube of the cat digging its claws into the aircraft’s wing as its pilot and passenger fly hundreds of feet above the ground at first apparently unaware of its presence.



Romain Jantot, understood to be the pilot in the clip, cites a flying club in Kourou, French Guiana, in the film’s description. He uploaded the video on Sunday and it has already received more than 75,000 views.

“A standard flight until … I still don’t know if it got in after the pre-flight check or if I missed it,” he says. “The cat is doing well, she is still our mascot.”

All appears well and cat-free as the aircraft accelerates on the runway and begins its takeoff.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The aircraft takes off on what appears to be a routine flight. Photograph: YouTube/RomainJantot

But about 38 seconds into the clip, the cat slowly creeps into view under the plane’s left wing, making its way towards the pilot and passenger with a sinister slow crawl.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest But then an unexpected stowaway creeps into view. Photograph: YouTube/RomainJantot

A few seconds later the animal is clearly exposed – and like a feline Jack Bauer it grasps the wing with true grit, going unnoticed by the pilot for 60 seconds.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The cat remains unnoticed for a minute after takeoff. Photograph: YouTube/RomainJantot

Just after a minute has passed, the pilot’s shock is clear as he notices windswept stowaway. Never before has a man’s face said “there’s a cat on the wing of my plane” with such unequivocal clarity.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The pilot’s expression of shock when he first notices his feline passenger. Photograph: YouTube/RomainJantot

The pilot immediately begins his descent and, after a comfortable landing, undoes his seatbelt before the aircraft has come to a halt and rushes to lower the cat to safety.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Nearly three minutes after takeoff, the aircraft lands and the cat is removed to safety. Photograph: YouTube/RomainJantot

Some three minutes after takeoff, the flight draws to a happy conclusion and the cat leaps to the runway.