Back in 1910, John Moisant became famous for being theĀ first pilot to cross the English Channel with a passenger, his mechanic, during a trip from Paris to London. But the newspapers often neglected to mention there was another passenger aboard the Bleriot biplane that that day: Moisant’s cat.

Paris-London, described in the press as a “beautiful, big tortoise-shell cat,” was just 2 weeks old at the time of the cross-channel flight, according to Moisant’s sister, Mathilde, herself a pilot, who said the cat “generally was carried in John’s pocket” at the time.

Moisant himself said that the cat played a most important part in the trip. After all, what’s the point of being famous if you can’t use your newfound fame to spoil your cat?

To read more about the cat that flew across the English Channel, click here.