Cats who walk the wings of planes

BENGALURU: At first glance, there is little that distinguishes Anna Ljungsberg, Victoria Smars and Hella Stening from the numerous other visitors at Aero India 2017. But, their taut muscles and sunburnt skin reveal that these are no ordinary guests at the event. These three Swedish women are part of Skycats, from the Scandinavian Airshow team, who specialise in wing walking. They are capable of striking various poses, and can mount the wings of an aircraft when it is in flight their position secured all the while by a single harness.Two women remain on top the wings of Grumman AG-CAT throughout the performance. Being adept at skydiving is a prerequisite for being a skycat, said the girls. Stening, 34, said, “You need to be strong to withstand the physical toil. We don't take girls who are too tall or too short. It turns out, all of us are naturally athletic, and are in the habit of working out several times in a week.“Stening, also an equestrian sport instructor, said that nervousness and anxiety was combated with laughter during the performance. “ All potential entrants must perform at lower altitudes with us. This is to ensure she is in sync with the rest of the team,“ she added.Ljunsberg, 22, said that it was watching the Skycat display at Aero India 2015 that inspired her to join the team. “Hella participated in that show. I knew I wanted to do this. It isn't scary at all,“ she said.Dressed up like cats, with headgear resembling cat ears, the girls tread the length of the wings, even sitting on top of the aircraft, with feline dexterity . Sunglasses and a single harness are all the girls have to combat the vagaries of weather. “We use sunscreen, which is all. The wind blows at such speeds that our faces are constantly pulled back in smiles.We end up being seen smiling in all the pictures,“ said Smars, 27, who has been a Skycat for five years.While Ljungsberg is a gymnast, Vistoria is a professional dancer. The girls also have to be prepared to perform impromptu stunts that the pilot might think of, while in flight. “It could be an extra loop or a barrel roll,“ said Stening.None of the performers is fitted with parachutes or other safety apparatus. “When there is a problem, we have no other option but to crawl into the plane and save ourselves,“ Stening added.