A Cautionary Tale (Cat hides under car)

[GaryMG4]

When I was in my late teens (a long, long time ago), I owned a share in an SZD Pirat glider. One Sunday morning I was going to attempt my Silver distance award and prepped my glider and my retrieve crew etc. The moment looked good for a launch using a winch with some pretty active looking thermals directly ahead from the launch point. Off we went, and pulling back on stick to nicely bend the wings aiming to get 1500' or so on the launch. Just at the point of maximum concentration I felt an intense pain on my shoulder followed shortly after with a searing pain in my right ear. My 'buddies' had put the gliding club cat 'Roper' in the curtained off shelf immediately behind the pilots head. We both immediately freaked out and there's not much room in the cockpit the Pirat being a single seat glider. I detached Roper from my ear and his claws out of my should and shoved him into nose of the canopy on top of the instrument panel. I could see all the claws extended as he realised just how high we were. I managed to regain composure and finish the launch, I could see on the ground my mates who clearly saw what happened when Roper made his appearance, my glider apparently wobbled on the winch launch momentarily.
Roper stayed in position for the remainder of the flight, his response to loops was interesting. When we landed I have never seen a cat move so fast! I never did get even with my mates, apparently all of the members were in on it and there was great hilarity as I took off.

That could have seriously ruined your day if he had decided to stop 'full and free movement' or gone for a wander aft. I flew a Pirat at Cranfield a few times , nice handling glider from what I remember .

 

[OriginalBigAl]

Mid 80s riding a GPZ 750 between Huddersfield and Diggle over the moors , Sun had gone down 1 hour previously so there was just the remains of twilight , but the main beam was doing its job on an empty road . Saw a couple of farm houses and dry stone walls lit up as I blatted along at around 70 mph , about 20 m ahead a black and white cat appeared and shot out in front of me , too late to brake I gripped the handlebars and waited for the thump as I saw it was near the front left wheel spindle . Nothing ! I then saw a black and white flash just off to my right , down and below . The only explanation I had at the time and since was it shot between the two wheels under the belly fairing missing anything rubber /metal/ plastic . Still wonder who was most scared in that brief Adrenalin fuelled moment , 40 years on still quite vivid.

 

[Archev]

Mid 80s riding a GPZ 750 between Huddersfield and Diggle over the moors , Sun had gone down 1 hour previously so there was just the remains of twilight , but the main beam was doing its job on an empty road . Saw a couple of farm houses and dry stone walls lit up as I blatted along at around 70 mph , about 20 m ahead a black and white cat appeared and shot out in front of me , too late to brake I gripped the handlebars and waited for the thump as I saw it was near the front left wheel spindle . Nothing ! I then saw a black and white flash just off to my right , down and below . The only explanation I had at the time and since was it shot between the two wheels under the belly fairing missing anything rubber /metal/ plastic . Still wonder who was most scared in that brief Adrenalin fuelled moment , 40 years on still quite vivid.

I dare say the cat’s forgotten by now

 

[OriginalBigAl]

I dare say the cat’s forgotten by now

Nine lives and all that cat reincatnation there could be a bit of faint memory left in one of its Dr Who like reinventions.

 

[johnb80]

That could have seriously ruined your day if he had decided to stop 'full and free movement' or gone for a wander aft. I flew a Pirat at Cranfield a few times , nice handling glider from what I remember .

Aye, the cubby hole you couldn't get further back and it just had a small velvet curtain covering the front which hid Roper from sight. I was lucky in many ways I didnt pull the cable release during Roper appearance, I was somewhat startled.

The Pirat was indeed a nice handling glider in it's time, it was one of the first gliders cleared for rolls (not in the UK though). I clocked up over 1000 hrs in it achieving a Diamond Height in 1979 at 23,000' over Sheffield in Wave. I sold the Pirat when I gained my PPL and bought a quarter share in the ubiquitous Cessna 150.

 

[SteveMSJ]

When I was in my late teens (a long, long time ago), I owned a share in an SZD Pirat glider. One Sunday morning I was going to attempt my Silver distance award and prepped my glider and my retrieve crew etc. The moment looked good for a launch using a winch with some pretty active looking thermals directly ahead from the launch point. Off we went, and pulling back on stick to nicely bend the wings aiming to get 1500' or so on the launch. Just at the point of maximum concentration I felt an intense pain on my shoulder followed shortly after with a searing pain in my right ear. My 'buddies' had put the gliding club cat 'Roper' in the curtained off shelf immediately behind the pilots head. We both immediately freaked out and there's not much room in the cockpit the Pirat being a single seat glider. I detached Roper from my ear and his claws out of my should and shoved him into nose of the canopy on top of the instrument panel. I could see all the claws extended as he realised just how high we were. I managed to regain composure and finish the launch, I could see on the ground my mates who clearly saw what happened when Roper made his appearance, my glider apparently wobbled on the winch launch momentarily.
Roper stayed in position for the remainder of the flight, his response to loops was interesting. When we landed I have never seen a cat move so fast! I never did get even with my mates, apparently all of the members were in on it and there was great hilarity as I took off.

This thread has taken a few unexpected turns
Anyway, my cat’s not impressed as ‘Roper’ didn’t have to navigate his own way home