Determination Is This Pigeon Holding Onto a Plane Wing During Takeoff at 149 MPH

A video shot last August at one of the airports in London, UK, is gaining plenty of traction again. We all need a good pick-me-up in the year 2020 and it doesn’t seem like coffee is doing the trick. So here is a video of a brave pigeon able to hold on to the wing of an airplane during takeoff – including after the plane has started the ascent, after the transition on the runway has been completed.

You may already know this, but a larger-sized plane takes off at speeds between 149 and 177 mph (240 and 285 kph), which means this little guy was able to hold his balance at such an incredible speed despite not being able to dig its claws into anything for a better grip.

You can see the video at the bottom of the page. One of the passengers turned on his camera wondering whether the bird would stay put once the plane began taxiing on the runway. It turns out it did, and even stayed put when the aircraft began the ascent, having taken off.

The same passenger tells Viral Hog that, in his opinion, the bird was unharmed when it lost its grip on the metal and was thrown backward. “It just took a bit of a tumble when the wind speed became too much!” explains the passenger.

However, it’s more likely that the brave little fellow disintegrated when it hit the jet stream behind the engine. If that was the case, it died a hero, unlike no other pigeon before him.

In case you’re wondering, cases of planes being struck by birds are not uncommon and they’re rarely dangerous. Back in 2016, after the release of the film Sully: A Miracle on Houston, which was inspired by the real story of a plane crashing into the Hudson after being struck by a flock of geese, former airline pilot and Flight Safety Specialist at the British Airline Pilots’ Association, Steve Landells, told BALPA that passengers had nothing to worry from birds striking aircraft.

“Bird strikes are a fairly common occurrence but are rarely dangerous. Aircraft are designed and built to withstand bird strikes and pilots undergo rigorous training to enable them to deal with eventualities like a bird strike,” he said. “In my flying career, I experienced 10 birdstrikes, none of which caused any significant damage. When a bird goes in to an engine, the energy within the engine usually means the bird disintegrates.”

That said, here’s a little guy proving you can do (almost) anything if you’re driven enough. And have very strong calves claws.