Warbird Information Exchange

Just curious if warbird owner/operators/enthusiasts have any insights on hangar cats out there.

Ours showed up at the CAF Dixie Wing hangar as a stray one day after the tragic loss of the PT-26. Named Aileron, he appears in our member listing and conducts security walks every morning when the hangar doors open. He was a pleasant surprise during a very tough time and has been a fixture at our facility ever since.

Ive read a few things about cats being mascots including the famous black cats associated with the PBY Night Raiders as well as some Luftwaffe pilots and U-Boat captains that had them as good luck charms. Ive also seen Felix appear on the sides of Navy fighters in WW2

Just curious if any WIX'ers know of any reference materials / experiences with cats as good luck for pilots. We know that ours has brought us lots of luck since that bad summer day several years back.

Any historical photos of military black cats would be welcome as Im working a portion of our website to feature Aileron.

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Rauhbatz
Commemorative Air Force
CAF Ohio Wing/Airbase Georgia Member
PT-19/26, T-34 CAF Pilot


Favorite quote from Wind, Sand & Stars - A. St. Exupuery "friends are like trees...when they are gone we miss their shade"

Here's black cat story for you.................
During WWII 2Lt John Tedder, a P-40 fighter pilot, of the 44th FS returned from rest leave in Auckland, NZ with a black cat. He had figured that it would be a good pet being easier to look after rather than a dog. Tedder's flight was scheduled to take their 4 P-40F Warhawks up to fighter 2 airstrip on Guadalcanal from the Quion Hill Airstrip on Efate. Not finding a C-47 to take his cat up to Cactus, Tedder decided to bring his new friend up with him in the P-40. During the 2+ hour flight the Tedder's P-40 seemed to have a hard time maintaining straight and level flight and much activity was noted in the cockpit. After landing on Ftr. 2 his P-40 made a fast taxi to parking where the canopy came back and the cat came flying out of the cockpit. The cat was none to worse for the wear but poor Lt Tedder seemed to almost in a state of shock and had numerous stratch and puncture wounds. He was off flying status for a week to recover! It also took the ground crew quite a bit of time to clean up the blood (the Lts) and de-fur (the cats) the cockpit. Eventually they made up but sadly Lt John Q. Tedder of Trenton, NJ was KIA on June 16, 1943 over Guadalcanal when he and a Navy VF-11 F4F collided while attacking a Zero.

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Don't touch my junk!!

Kack thats hilarious,must have provided some stress relief for those formating on him once they worked out the reason for discomfort,still laughing,Pete

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Give me a Centaurus over a Merlin any day

Aileron has never been flying in a CAF a/c...your stoy helps point out why!

Thanks again for the submittal....

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Rauhbatz
Commemorative Air Force
CAF Ohio Wing/Airbase Georgia Member
PT-19/26, T-34 CAF Pilot


Favorite quote from Wind, Sand & Stars - A. St. Exupuery "friends are like trees...when they are gone we miss their shade"

Rauhbatz...
Great story about Aileron! Give him a skritch'n for me!
And funny story about the 'Canal Kitty Jack!

Meet CLECO

This fuzzbutt showed up in the sandblast room at the hangar May 19th.
Weighing in at 3.2 ozs. her eyes and ears were closed, but her lungs were working perfectly... Which probably saved her life.
We kept hoping Momma Cat would come retrieve her but after about four hours it became apparent that that was highly unlikely.
The troops were getting bummed, but NOBODY needed a cat. Who does?
So I said dimmit!!! scooped her up and headed to PETCO, which had just closed. After holding her up to the window and looking desparate they reopened the store and got me set up with formula and a bottle.
(Didn't know it at the time but 99.1 per cent of calicos are female.)
She now weighs a respectable 21 ozs and you can almost hear her grow.

Give the Dalys my best.

SPANNER

PS... My Black cat ZULU and MAGGIE the White dust mop think CLECO is the BEST idea they've heard of since a trip to the Vets!

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Support Your Local Warbirds! KBO!
The only reasons the airplanes matter is what the veterans did with them... and why.

Don't think I would want a cat roaming the cockpit while flying!! Drove from TX to FL in a rented moving truck and had the dang cat in the cab with me!!! Seemed the only place it would "rest" was in my lap. Every time I shifted or hit the brakes that cat would test its claws!!! Either that or wander up and down the dashboard driving me crazy. All that swamp full of hungry gators I went past in LA and I kept that cat in the cab, don't remember why!?!