Pilots n Paws

Timbeck2

Timbeck2

Final Approach
Joined
Nov 4, 2015
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9,166
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Vail, Arizona
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Display name:
Timbeck2
Wondering who else here does it. I don't as much as I'd like to and since I decreased my miles willing to fly one way down to 300 I don't get as many notifications as I used to. Having said that, there is a trip in the planning stages that maybe one of you Texas pilots may be interested in that I could finish up.

https://pilotsnpaws.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=50405
 
I am signed up, and there have been a few tempting transports, but I’ve let weather and other activities become excuses.
 
I just did my first one a couple weeks ago
 
done quite a few, including one on X-mas day
 
My concern is a crate. I don't have one and how do I get a large crate in the back of a 172?
 
If you can't handle a crate you can still transport animals that don't need to be crated although having a helper ride along would be good.
 
I have done a few, my wife is signed up on their forum. Most other pilots I have met so far don't use crates but I do, I think it's kinda nuts to have a dog you have never met before in your airplane with it's expensive interior at risk.. not to mention potential safety issues.

I like these soft crates for flying
https://www.amazon.com/Natures-Miracle-36-Inch-70-Pounds-P-6042/dp/B006HO80P0

The nice thing is they fold up so you can get them through tight doors in the folded configuration then open them up in the aircraft. I can get 2 36" crates in my Archer at once. They just barely fit, but it does work.
 
Most dogs do fine without a crate. I've devised a tether that attaches to the rear shoulder harness that limits their movement and always have a helper when they are not crated... I also fly a skyhawk
 
Haven’t done a pilots and paws flight, we do fly rescue missions for the Mid-Atlantic English Springer Spaniel Rescue (MAESSR)
 
I've done a lot of PnP flights over the last 5 years or so.

My main personal limit is that I won't get involved in a trip with more than 2 or 3 legs, or better yet, I handle the entire transport. Some of those trips that are 4, 5, 6 legs are BS for many reasons, but the biggest being that those trips tend to pressure pilots to do things outside their comfort level. It's hard to transport an animal that far without the need to cross a front or two.
 
I did one. An ill tempered110 pound male black Lab, that was advertised as a sweet 70 pounder. kind of put me off for a while
 
Last one I did was last year from Tucson to Albuquerque hauling a Shar Pei with gas. The turbulence was so bad the dog was levitating a few times.
 
We are doing PNP flights. We love the opportunity to go places which we wouldn’t have picked without PNP.

Having some furry passengers on the way there or back and giving them a chance for a better life is a plus. Our cat / dog ratio is in favor of the felines. :) In general any dog and cat we have flown so far was extremely cute and well behaved.

We are looking forward to the first PNP flight in 2018.
 
I've done 3 or 4. Most recently, 3 years ago (unfortunately, due to a long layoff). BTW, since I fly alone, I always insist on a crate. Yes it's true that dogs usually go to sleep, but "usually" isn't good enough. All it takes is one panicked dog in the cargo area to really give me a bad day.
 
Although I cannot fly the missions, is there a way I can donate to the cause?
Huge animal lover here, especially cats.
 
labbadabba said:
My concern is a crate. I don't have one and how do I get a large crate in the back of a 172?
Click to expand...
The large hardside crates (something that fits the 65# and larger dogs) won't fit in the back of a 172.

But this might. I know two of them will just fit in the Skylane.

Found on Amazon for $25 each: Pop Open Collapsible Travel Crate

81DPiBuLC3L._SL1500_.jpg
 
Timbeck2 said:
Absolutely. Just go to their website and you'll find the donate button in the lower left.

https://www.pilotsnpaws.org/
Click to expand...

Donating to PnP will go to the organization that runs the chat board. But nothing goes to the rescues or the coordinators who organize the flights.

So if someone wants to make a dent somewhere monetarily, I suggest donating to the local rescue organization(s).
 
I've flown nearly 75 dogs and 10 cats in the last 8 years. One of the earlier missions was Murphey the Saint Bernard and I had @SixPapaCharlie with me that spawned his "My Flight with AggieMike" story.

If anyone is curious about the ins/out of doing PnP missions, they are welcome to call me and ask questions.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Donating to PnP will go to the organization that runs the chat board. But nothing goes to the rescues or the coordinators who organize the flights.

So if someone wants to make a dent somewhere monetarily, I suggest donating to the local rescue organization(s).
Click to expand...
Interesting. I am a fairly large doner to the ASPCA. One reason for that was the high percentage of donations that actually went to help animals. I haven’t rechecked that lately.

Thoughts???
 
Kritchlow said:
Thoughts???
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, I've never done anything with the ASPCA other than watch their TV commercials. So I can't comment on how they handle their donations.

My opinion is that the national charity organizations are good entities, but I get better hugs, handshakes,and smiles when I donate to the local boots on the ground folks
 
Mike you're definitely more experienced in PnP than I am but the only way as a volunteer pilot I know of getting the information on the trips is through that website/board and the email requests that they send. I agree with making a dent locally. My wife and I have fostered dogs and cats for 20+ years.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Unfortunately, I've never done anything with the ASPCA other than watch their TV commercials. So I can't comment on how they handle their donations.

My opinion is that the national charity organizations are good entities, but I get better hugs, handshakes,and smiles when I donate to the local boots on the ground folks
Click to expand...
Thanks for you insights.
 
Kritchlow said:
Interesting. I am a fairly large doner to the ASPCA. One reason for that was the high percentage of donations that actually went to help animals. I haven’t rechecked that lately.

Thoughts???
Click to expand...

Numerous charity check websites rate ASPCA extremely low, as do all of the actual rescue workers and trainers I’ve talked to over the years.

They spend a lot of money on executive salaries and advertising... all those tear-jerker ads aren’t cheap. They’re also often shot to specifically make the dogs look scared when there’s no need to do that.

Take for what it’s worth as “some guy on the Internet said...” and do some of your own research if it’s important to you to donate to highly effective organizations.

If you want your bucks to make a huge difference, almost all rescue organizations have dogs that can’t be placed in “normal” homes but their volunteers who have years of experience foster them literally until they pass on.

My brother in law works with a Shepherd rescue and has two. They’re so abused they can’t even board them, they have to leave them home and kinda hope for the best on any trips where everyone’s out of the house. The one dog only trusts about three humans, total.

Many of these smaller (often breed specific) rescues use donations to help defray medical and even feeding costs for their foster volunteers. And the fosters often have the dogs that simply can’t be placed anywhere else, but don’t deserve to be put down as long as there’s a foster willing to be patient with them and food to feed them.

It’s like a lot of charities — national handles marketing and paying execs inordinate sums, and local has volunteers who aren’t paid and do all the real work. (Cough: Red Cross)
 
Timbeck2 said:
Mike you're definitely more experienced in PnP than I am but the only way as a volunteer pilot I know of getting the information on the trips is through that website/board and the email requests that they send
Click to expand...
Very True.

But I have found that I'm a happier pilot when I work with a select few coordinators (like Sybil from Mountain Pet Rescue in Winter Park, CO) who understand the pilot mindset and do an awesome job getting all the logistic ends figured out. These few frequently contact me directly by email and text to see if I can help. And their frequency is enough to keep me busy. And often I do look at the board to see if they are posting a mission that I have yet to be contacted for.

Too many others on the PnP board are either dreamers ("I'm in NY and need lots of pilots to bring me the mixed breed scruffigan mutt from San Diego") or don't know how to organize their way out of a paper bag. And one or two have left me hanging. So those I avoid.

So, yeah, I am a bit salty about some of the transport requests posted to the board. And I amy picky about who I am going to spend $110/hr to fly for, and screen carefully for the odd ones that might not pass the smell test.

But the 5 awesome coordinators I've found over the years are wonderful to work with. I happily will do a 6hr r/t flight for them and be asking for the next one.
 
denverpilot said:
Numerous charity check websites rate ASPCA extremely low, as do all of the actual rescue workers and trainers I’ve talked to over the years.

They spend a lot of money on executive salaries and advertising... all those tear-jerker ads aren’t cheap. They’re also often shot to specifically make the dogs look scared when there’s no need to do that.

Take for what it’s worth as “some guy on the Internet said...” and do some of your own research if it’s important to you to donate to highly effective organizations.

If you want your bucks to make a huge difference, almost all rescue organizations have dogs that can’t be placed in “normal” homes but their volunteers who have years of experience foster them literally until they pass on.

My brother in law works with a Shepherd rescue and has two. They’re so abused they can’t even board them, they have to leave them home and kinda hope for the best on any trips where everyone’s out of the house. The one dog only trusts about three humans, total.

Many of these smaller (often breed specific) rescues use donations to help defray medical and even feeding costs for their foster volunteers. And the fosters often have the dogs that simply can’t be placed anywhere else, but don’t deserve to be put down as long as there’s a foster willing to be patient with them and food to feed them.

It’s like a lot of charities — national handles marketing and paying execs inordinate sums, and local has volunteers who aren’t paid and do all the real work. (Cough: Red Cross)
Click to expand...
Good info. I skimmed but I think I got your point.

I WILL do more research. I want to help the animals in the most efficient way.
 
Good stuff to know Mike for sure. I don't know that many planners and coordinators. I've just made sure that I've talked to both ends of the trip and made sure they will be at the right place at the right time.
 
I have only done one so far. We picked up a dog near Sacramento, and brought him back to SoCal. He was fostered here for a week and then we took him to Phoenix. The people we were working with were great. I told them I often go to Phoenix to visit family and they asked me to let them know when I would be going in the future as they often have trips they need done between SoCal and Phoenix. We made a trip over New Years to visit family but it was a last minute thing, with an extra weeks notice they would have had a dog for us to transport. I did receive an email from them a couple weeks ago and we will be transporting another dog in the next week for them. It's a win/win for me, we get to help them out and I can write off the expense of the trip to see family because we are transporting a dog for charity.

Like Mike mentioned above, if you can find some good coordinators they make it nice. While there are the trips that post on the PnP site, having a contact with some rescues that knows me and where I typically fly opens up more opportunities. I send out an email to them if I am planning a trip and they try to line something up, or they send me an email asking if I have anything planned coming up and then they try to coordinate around my trip.

Thomas - PilotnPaws - Stockton CA to Phoenix AZ
 
labbadabba said:
My concern is a crate. I don't have one and how do I get a large crate in the back of a 172?
Click to expand...
The larger crates are in 2 parts. Most will easily fit on the backseat. Just remember to use the seat belt to keep it from moving around.
 
tlglenn said:
If you can't handle a crate you can still transport animals that don't need to be crated although having a helper ride along would be good.
Click to expand...
I put 3 beach towels along the back seat and make sure the dog has ample time to walk around before getting in the airplane. Harness on dog is connected to the seat belt. Harness, not collar.
 
Kritchlow said:
Although I cannot fly the missions, is there a way I can donate to the cause?
Huge animal lover here, especially cats.
Click to expand...
You can donate to PnP and/or to a rescue organization you like.
 
AggieMike88 said:
Very True.

But I have found that I'm a happier pilot when I work with a select few coordinators (like Sybil from Mountain Pet Rescue in Winter Park, CO) who understand the pilot mindset and do an awesome job getting all the logistic ends figured out. These few frequently contact me directly by email and text to see if I can help. And their frequency is enough to keep me busy. And often I do look at the board to see if they are posting a mission that I have yet to be contacted for.

Too many others on the PnP board are either dreamers ("I'm in NY and need lots of pilots to bring me the mixed breed scruffigan mutt from San Diego") or don't know how to organize their way out of a paper bag. And one or two have left me hanging. So those I avoid.

So, yeah, I am a bit salty about some of the transport requests posted to the board. And I amy picky about who I am going to spend $110/hr to fly for, and screen carefully for the odd ones that might not pass the smell test.

But the 5 awesome coordinators I've found over the years are wonderful to work with. I happily will do a 6hr r/t flight for them and be asking for the next one.
Click to expand...
Same here about Sybil and a couple others that are local to Denver. My schedule's opened up so I expect to start flights again, weather permitting.
 
Kritchlow said:
Although I cannot fly the missions, is there a way I can donate to the cause?
Huge animal lover here, especially cats.
Click to expand...

I was thinking of starting a go fund me to buy a plane so that I can do rescue flights. I’ll send you the link once it’s up.

:cool:
 
Kritchlow said:
Interesting. I am a fairly large doner to the ASPCA. One reason for that was the high percentage of donations that actually went to help animals. I haven’t rechecked that lately.

Thoughts???
Click to expand...
I've seen recent commercials on TV that say outright that you'd be better served to donate to the local rescues as the national orgs siphon off a lot of the money to things other than animal rescue and care....
 
@Kritchlow

Don't take this for gospel, but I know a retired airline pilot that flies a LOT of PnP missions. Since we're a 2 hour flight from each other, we have frequently teamed up on 2 legged transports.

He loves doing PnP trips but has a huge hard-on for the organization itself and he's sent me a lot of "documentation" over the years about PnP and their leader and how she's using the organization for her own enrichment. She is drawing an exhorbitent 6 figure salary according to his info. I'm not sure I buy into all of it, but he had enough data to make me quit contributing cash to them. I'll fly dogs under their umbrella all day long, but I no longer financially support the organization like I once did.

Add me to the list that gives to the local, feet on the ground, rescue operations. I've found that an easy way to do this is, if I'm flying a dog to a rescue that specializes in that breed instead of to its adopting family, I'll include a donation to their cause in the envelope with the dog's health papers.
 
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Ive done several PnP missions and hope to add Angel Flight into the mix as well. Mike is correct in that some organizations are better organized than others. One mission pictured 7 small puppies. Reality was 8 larger puppies. It was almost an issue for the Leg 3 guy flying the 170, but we worked it out.
 
We donate locally only also.

We just recently adopted two cats from a local rescue organization and bumped up the adoption fee by the vet expenses they had for those two ladies until we got them. You cannot imagine the gratefulness of the team. We also donate to the rescue organization that we fly cats for every once in a while.

The money is well spent and will benefit the cats... :)
 
Well, if you're looking to donate to a pet rescue organization that will put your money to good use, May I suggest Cloud 9 Rescue Flights? They happen to have an airplane that's dedicated to flying dogs and cats, that is in need of overhauled engines.

Plus, if Ted gets stuck on the ground too long, he may get a wee bit testy and start swinging the ban hammer. :p
 
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