First PnP Mission

Good on you! P-n-P flying is terrific.

Most dogs seem to be lulled by the engine noise/vibration, and will sleep from takeoff until landing. In the event that your passenger isn't one of those, just make sure that he's well secured, so that he poses zero distraction to you in-flight. My personal choice is that all dogs travel in a carrier/crate, but that's entirely up to you and how sensitive you are to upholstery damage.

Don't get so wrapped-up in flying duties that you miss out on the "dog" aspect of it. Take a few minutes at the receiving end of the flight to relax and enjoy the animal. Take some photos to show your friends. Save your fuel receipts -- they're tax deductible.
 
What Squirrel said. Use a crate or leash to keep the dog in place and some old blankets or something to protect your upholstery and carpet in case of an accidental discharge from one or more dog orifices. I use those cheap moving blankets sold at Harbor Freight.
 
Hide some bacon in your pocket. :)

If you have a helper come along with you, not too much for u to worry about. If not and you’re concerned, crate the pooch. I have yet to crate one but I check with the other peeps to see how the dog travels. If well in a car, will typically do well in the plane but who knows. I put a blanket over the back seat.
 
Hide some bacon in your pocket. :)

If you have a helper come along with you, not too much for u to worry about. If not and you’re concerned, crate the pooch. I have yet to crate one but I check with the other peeps to see how the dog travels. If well in a car, will typically do well in the plane but who knows. I put a blanket over the back seat.
I’ve got my wife tagging along so she can keep an eye on the pooch. I’ll make sure to take a few treats and a blanket for the back seat. Thanks for the tips, guys! I’ll report back after the mission is accomplished.
 
For large dogs I just used a plastic bin that just barely fit in the backseat. It was actually gifted to me on my first PnP mission. Bring old blankets or towels, throw those in there and every dog I transported curled up and slept nearly the whole way.
 
Remember to say "Who's a good boy?" repeatedly during the flight. Dogs love that!
 
3BF5869F-25E5-4215-8EFE-D3B166088D24.jpeg 2726866A-0B75-4A9F-AE8F-BAA10074744B.jpeg F5E81736-2856-402F-A4B4-0B42538D7A7D.jpeg 6DCCA9E8-FAA2-42DE-B4AE-A38EF0FBC839.jpeg 8944B785-D2BD-49E9-9F6C-0E72B1695939.jpeg 3ED535B9-16AC-4D50-BBF5-B6546F2DFFDC.jpeg

What Squirrel said. Use a crate or leash to keep the dog in place and some old blankets or something to protect your upholstery and carpet in case of an accidental discharge from one or more dog orifices. I use those cheap moving blankets sold at Harbor Freight.

This is what I do. Containers for unmonitored dogs of all sizes. But will allow bigger well behaved dogs to be tethered if I have a helper.

PnP is an awesome way to build experience.

Photos above are of my flight today from DTO to DUX for two dogs going to Denver. My friend David Stallsmith and his daughter Lauren came along as helpers.
 
When handling dogs at transfers, make sure a good collar or harness with a proper ring is used.

Once at DTO, a scared chi weeny had a collar with a very cheap thin split ring for attaching the leash. While letting them potty near the FBO, someone dropped something that made a very loud bang. Dog spooked, yanked on the lead, the split ring failed, and then I had a limp leash as I watched a white streak head across the active runway.

The FBO let me borrow their Gator so I could give chase and a handheld so I could talk to ground. After clearance to cross the runway, I found the dog, but it wouldn’t let me approach. For the next 30 minutes, he lead me to two laps of the airport property and covered maybe 3-4 miles before he ran out of steam and was tired enough for me to approach. All this made me feel like I was Sean Mercer in Hitari.

And on a few moments of that chase, the Jazzy Sax theme from Benny Hill would have been very appropriate.

Now I always come prepared with my own bag of collars, harnesses and leads. And any dog I am handling is properly collared or harnessed so I won’t repeat that chase around the airport.
 
My humble advice is what you already know. Don't let the compassionate aspect of the flight weigh into your Go/NoGo decision. Mostly the kind folks at PnP aren't pilots and some that are may have a higher risk tolerance than you. I once canceled a trip because the guy flying the leg after me was being pressured into a flight he was uncomfortable with. The dog was flown commercially, less stress for everyone that time.
 
Remember to say "Who's a good boy?" repeatedly during the flight. Dogs love that!
Pro tip: Let go of the PTT when you are talking to the dog.

I’ve done three PnP flights so far. I’m always a middle leg so I never meet the sending or receiving parties. But all three dogs made it obvious to me that they understood they were on a great adventure that would end in a better home for them.
 
Don't let the compassionate aspect of the flight weigh into your Go/NoGo decision.
Total agreement. Keep your pilot smarts going and make proper risk management decisions.

Three or four years ago, I was to be leg 1 pilot several dogs originating in Denton and Another being flown up from Houston. All were going to Denver and a certain Fankenkota pilot was going to meet me in the Texas Panhandle.

Weather in Denton got way colder than planned. Ceiling got lower and the Houston pilot reported ice during his approach. My airplane wouldn’t start (dead battery). And all the dog rescue folks with worried looks creating get-there-itis pressure.

Three strikes was enough for me to say “no fly”. Clark was gracious enough to fly closer to DTO and I drove the dogs to him. (Fortunately there was a DQ near the FBO where he was at).

Irony did prevail. The crap weather was just over the DFW area. After 100 miles of the 120-ish drive west to get to Clark, the clouds were gone and it was severe VFR.
 
Agreed with all said here.
ENJOY it, that's part of why we're doing it. Bring treats and have them readily in your pocket.
BE SMART, don't let the dog people make decisions for you. (I have had to cancel or postpone in the past, I always tell them ahead of time if there's a chance, so that it doesn't surprise them)
HAVE FUN! Again, enjoy the dog's company.
TAKE PICTURES. Plenty. The more dogs you fly, the easier it is to forget the previous ones. I have a few dozen dogs in my cubicle to keep me company. :)
T-SHIRT from PnP makes you easily identifiable to ground volunteers. If you haven't received one yet, request it. (they are bright red now, Christ - and they are free)

Crates work fine but most dogs behave and sleep in the back seat. Bring a "wrangler", aka "copilot".
If you can, bring a student pilot friend to:
- get them out of the traffic pattern for a change
- show them how real world aviation works after training
- introduce them to real cross-country flights
- expose them to PnP and suggest that they CAN fly pups as student pilots :)

FWIW, FBOs normally wave "landing" fees, parking fees, "service" fees or other means of extortion if you mention a charity flight. A nice FBO CSR might even discount fuel if you ask very nicely and let her pet the pup. We've had some pretty girls fawn all over some dogs, it is always awesome when the pup draws people love.

Again, HAVE FUN! And post pictures after. Or else. ;)
 
Well, we made it to Houston and picked up Keenan. We set off for Mesquite and about the time we got to Huntsville the clouds began to descend on us. I made the decision to divert back to my home airport in Gladewater, and now we are driving him to Canton. He slept in the back of the plane the whole way. Hims a good boy! Wife agreed to drive to Canton since I did all the flying this morning.
CE865FB7-0386-4EC4-BFE3-1DC378EFABE5.jpeg 547D7F8E-0B9D-4F85-A3D1-11A7B0395124.jpeg C0E9B416-5727-4148-A727-87D54CBD1C9C.jpeg 2CEC115C-4AFF-48FE-8CAA-A1F1BF5746E7.jpeg
 
I am so looking forward to our next PNP flight. Plane is still in maintenance though... :(

I like the pics you took - looks like you and your wife had a lot of fun! :thumbsup:
 
Great work you guys are doing! Does PnP require a instrument rating? My Mooney is almost back in the air and I'd love to be part of this. Located SW Florida.
 
Great work you guys are doing! Does PnP require a instrument rating? My Mooney is almost back in the air and I'd love to be part of this. Located SW Florida.
IR definitely not required for PnP! :)
 
Does PnP require a instrument rating?
IR definitely not required for PnP! :)
Nope.
Heck, PnP doesn't even require a PPL! :)
Ask me how I know. ;)

FWIW, IR will help you move pup even if the wx isn't great. But you might get stuck somewhere waiting to hand off the pup to another pilot who just never arrives because he does not have an instrument ticket.
So careful planning during non-VFR weather is required.
But it is worth it!!
 
You don’t have to have the IR but it’s nice. If I had mine, we wouldn’t have driven yesterday. I’ll be fixing that issue soon, though.
 
You don’t have to have the IR but it’s nice. If I had mine, we wouldn’t have driven yesterday. I’ll be fixing that issue soon, though.
That's another reason to take a qualified safety pilot on future PnP missions. It's someone who can help deal with the plane and/or dog when the dog needs more attention and who can help you log simulated instrument time (assuming you are far enough along in your lessons actually to benefit from this type of practice) when the dog does not need so much attention. The instrument airplane rating requires lots of cross-country PIC time and lots of simulated instrument time, and PnP flights are a good opportunity to build both of those. (Or you can take advantage of the opportunity to fly a couple practice approaches per PnP mission after you have your rating, to help maintain currency and proficiency.)

Edit to add: The first instrument approach I logged while solo in actual IMC was on a PnP flight. :)
 
That's another reason to take a qualified safety pilot on future PnP missions. It's someone who can help deal with the plane and/or dog when the dog needs more attention and who can help you log simulated instrument time (assuming you are far enough along in your lessons actually to benefit from this type of practice) when the dog does not need so much attention. The instrument airplane rating requires lots of cross-country PIC time and lots of simulated instrument time, and PnP flights are a good opportunity to build both of those. (Or you can take advantage of the opportunity to fly a couple practice approaches per PnP mission after you have your rating, to help maintain currency and proficiency.)

Edit to add: The first instrument approach I logged while solo in actual IMC was on a PnP flight. :)
I haven’t actually started training yet; I’m doing the written first. But using PnP to log hood time is a great idea!
 
I haven’t actually started training yet; I’m doing the written first. But using PnP to log hood time is a great idea!
PnP flights is how I quickly built the time for IFR.

Also, keep an eye out for a trip that can tick off the looong solo requirement for CPL. The regs say it need doing, but doesn’t specify when.
 
Also, keep an eye out for a trip that can tick off the looong solo requirement for CPL. The regs say it need doing, but doesn’t specify when.
Unfortunately, the regs also say that the long XC flight must be done solo. As in no other occupants in the airplane (dogs count as cargo).
Sucks because I flew a 3300 nm XC last summer and cannot use it toward CPL because I wasn't "solo". *sigh* I don't get the point of that specific reg.
 
Unfortunately, the regs also say that the long XC flight must be done solo. As in no other occupants in the airplane (dogs count as cargo).
Sucks because I flew a 3300 nm XC last summer and cannot use it toward CPL because I wasn't "solo". *sigh* I don't get the point of that specific reg.
61.129
(4) Ten hours of solo flight time in a single engine airplane or 10 hours of flight time performing the duties of pilot in command in a single engine airplane with an authorized instructor on board (either of which may be credited towards the flight time requirement under paragraph (a)(2) of this section), on the areas of operation listed under §61.127(b)(1) that include—
(i) One cross-country flight of not less than 300 nautical miles total distance, with landings at a minimum of three points, one of which is a straight-line distance of at least 250 nautical miles from the original departure point. However, if this requirement is being met in Hawaii, the longest segment need only have a straight-line distance of at least 150 nautical miles.

I edited this post after a little more careful reading. I guess the ultimate question is how do they define solo. It looks to me like you can have a passenger? Seems silly to only allow the flights where you're the sole occupant.
 
Last edited:
61.129 (i) One cross-country flight of not less than 300 nautical miles total distance, with landings at a minimum of three points, one of which is a straight-line distance of at least 250 nautical miles from the original departure point. However, if this requirement is being met in Hawaii, the longest segment need only have a straight-line distance of at least 150 nautical miles.

I don't see anything about having to be solo? Is that in a different reg?

I count solo as any flight where I'm PIC with no instruction from a CFI tagging along.. If I could only log solo on flights where I was the sole occupant, I'd have about 15 hours. I'm always flying with people.
 
I count solo as any flight where I'm PIC with no instruction from a CFI tagging along.. If I could only log solo on flights where I was the sole occupant, I'd have about 15 hours. I'm always flying with people.
Same here! I enjoy the occasional flight by myself, but generally it's way more fun to have someone along for the ride.
 
61.129 (i) One cross-country flight of not less than 300 nautical miles total distance, with landings at a minimum of three points, one of which is a straight-line distance of at least 250 nautical miles from the original departure point. However, if this requirement is being met in Hawaii, the longest segment need only have a straight-line distance of at least 150 nautical miles.

I don't see anything about having to be solo? Is that in a different reg?
You are quoting 61.129(a)(4)(i). Subdivision (i), which you quoted, is part of subdivision (4), which says "Ten hours of solo flight time in a single engine airplane . . . that include" subdivision (i). This flight must be done solo (or "performing the flight duties of pilot in command in a single engine airplane with an authorized instructor on board").

I count solo as any flight where I'm PIC with no instruction from a CFI tagging along.. If I could only log solo on flights where I was the sole occupant, I'd have about 15 hours. I'm always flying with people.
You can't log solo time when there is another living human being in the plane. 61.51(d) is explicit that "a pilot may log as solo flight time only that flight time when the pilot is the sole occupant of the aircraft."
 
You are quoting 61.129(a)(4)(i). Subdivision (i), which you quoted, is part of subdivision (4), which says "Ten hours of solo flight time in a single engine airplane . . . that include" subdivision (i). This flight must be done solo (or "performing the flight duties of pilot in command in a single engine airplane with an authorized instructor on board").


You can't log solo time when there is another living human being in the plane. 61.51(d) is explicit that "a pilot may log as solo flight time only that flight time when the pilot is the sole occupant of the aircraft."

Well. Crap.
 
You are quoting 61.129(a)(4)(i). Subdivision (i), which you quoted, is part of subdivision (4), which says "Ten hours of solo flight time in a single engine airplane . . . that include" subdivision (i). This flight must be done solo (or "performing the flight duties of pilot in command in a single engine airplane with an authorized instructor on board").


You can't log solo time when there is another living human being in the plane. 61.51(d) is explicit that "a pilot may log as solo flight time only that flight time when the pilot is the sole occupant of the aircraft."
Sure enough. No biggie, I have plenty of solo time anyway. Just need to do that long flight. But does a dog count as an occupant? I would think no, but I've been wrong before and will be again.
 
Sure enough. No biggie, I have plenty of solo time anyway. Just need to do that long flight. But does a dog count as an occupant? I would think no, but I've been wrong before and will be again.
I don't think the FARs define "occupant" but maybe they do and I just can't find it. I don't know anyone who considers flight with a dog on board not to be solo flight. But just because all the other kids are doing it doesn't necessarily make it right.
 
Does a dog with 4 limbs count as two humans with 2 limbs each? In that case, no, you're not solo. FAA rules. :D

I keeed, I keeeed. Humans are passengers. Anything else is considered cargo. (sorry, Bubbas and Cooters, your 4-legged brides do not count as passengers, now matter how many times you introduce them to the mile-high club). :)
 
You can't log solo time when there is another living human being in the plane. 61.51(d) is explicit that "a pilot may log as solo flight time only that flight time when the pilot is the sole occupant of the aircraft."
Correct. Which is the bad news.
The slightly better news is that I've asked people about the solo requirement for the long X/C for their CPL and some reported that their DPE did not care at all whether the flight was conducted solo or as PIC with pax. I gotta find me a nice DPE! :)
 
Good on you, this is a great mission to support!

Somewhat related story, and I'm not sure if I've told this one here yet: A few years ago, on short final, my carbon monoxide detector started blaring. I actually didn't know what it was at first, but it was very loud beeping and I start trying to look around the cabin and figure out what's going on. It freaked my dog out who was in the back seat and he proceeded to try and jump up to the front seat on my lap, but didn't quite make it, so started pawing at my arms frantically as he was falling down in between the seats. Luckily my wife was with me to assist as I yelled at her to help get him off of me, but the whole thing was a little eye opening as to what a chain of unexpected events can do.

Long story short: You might be well advised to secure any pets in your plane to be sure they can't directly interfere with the flight, especially when they aren't well known to you.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top