Hitching a Ride:
This little incident occurred on a Malayan Airways DC-3 departing from the old Kuala Lumpur Airport at Simpang. Far from an operational matter it's just something recalled with pleasure.
The captain was flying and as he completed running up the engines I asked for take off clearance and we started to move forward onto the runway. It was at this point that our pretty hostess stepped into the companion way (area between the pilots) and in a most matter of fact way said: " There is a bird standing on the right wing. " Sure enough looking over my shoulder I saw a pigeon on the leading edge about five feet in from the tip. It was facing forward and had possibly settled there during taxying from the terminal building. As the captain dropped in the tail wheel lock and opened the throttles he laughingly said to me: " Watch it and see how long it can hang on? " Abandoning my first officer's duties of monitoring manifold pressures, rpms and fuel pressures I kept my head turned and looked at that crazy pigeon. As the DC-3 accelerated and the tail came up the bird lowered its head and actually started to lean forward until half of its body appeared to be ahead of the leading edge. It seemed to be determined to stay there. I glanced in at the ASI and saw 70 kts but when I looked back the pigeon was gone.
Thus I can assure the world that a pigeon can stand on the wing of DC-3 up to a speed of 70 kts. What I can't tell the world is why it would want to do such a thing because apart from anything else the noise from the engines would have been devastating.
Prince of Dzun