Flying with a dog in a Baron

Toby

Toby

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Toby Speed
Hi guys!

To my many friends here who provided technical information while I was writing my first murder mystery over the past several years, thank you for your help. DEATH OVER EASY is finished and making the rounds of agents. You helped me choose guns and knives for sleazeball characters, helped me understand which end of a 182 would head down first if the elevator was knocked off, gave me some pointers on flying an Extra, theorized on whether it would flip upside down when hitting the water and whether you'd pop the canopy on the way down or not, etc. etc. I couldn't have written it without you (look for a mention in the acknowledgments when published).

Now I'm writing the next book in the series, DEATH UNDER THE RADAR, which has a lot more flying in it than the first book did. My main character, Emma, is taking flying lessons and will solo by the end of the book....I think I can handle that part. :)

My question right now is: I have a scene coming up where Emma flies north a couple hundred miles in a Beech Baron with her uncle and a large dog. The dog is a German Shepherd, a former police dog. I doubt he's ever been in a plane before. What kind of restraint would you suggest? Would you put anything over his ears to protect them from the noise? What kinds of experiences have you had flying with dogs -- if you have?

In advance, many thanks.
 
They lay down and go to sleep. My dog gets restless when it gets hot and he seeks the comfort of the front air vents. Apparently, air vents closer to me are more desirable than the ones beside him. We don't restrain him or use mutt muffs but I don't fly alone with him. He's a 2yr old Lab.
 
Toby said:
The dog is a German Shepherd, a former police dog. I doubt he's ever been in a plane before. What kind of restraint would you suggest? Would you put anything over his ears to protect them from the noise? What kinds of experiences have you had flying with dogs -- if you have?

In advance, many thanks.
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He would likely be a very well behaved dog. I would say "Justice, in!" while pointing to the back seat..then I'd close the door and fly away.
 
My Shepherd has logged over 200 hours in my 182. He's never been restrained. He used to wear mutt muffs until I determined that they didn't actually do anything to reduce the noise level (has anyone here ever heard me say "mutt muffs SUCK"? Surely not!) Like Bart's dog...he simply goes to sleep. He loves traveling regardless of the mode.

I don't say "Buddy, In". I say "Road Trip!" and he loads up in whatever vehicle he thinks we're taking...and he always knows.
 
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I like the sound of this. I've been picturing the dog sitting happily in the back seat, looking around. What if he's 7, 8 years old and never been in a plane? He wouldn't freak out?
 
Toby said:
I like the sound of this. I've been picturing the dog sitting happily in the back seat, looking around. What if he's 7, 8 years old and never been in a plane? He wouldn't freak out?
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Very unlikely he would care. If he rides in a car he'll ride in a plane.

Perhaps Ted could shed some light on this.
 
Most dogs don't care, especially bigger dogs. They'll probably just lay down and go to sleep. If he handles being in a car well, he should handle being in a plane well.

The only restraints I've ever used are cages. Cages work well. But most dogs really don't care, and just go to sleep.
 
It's been said that any dog that does well in a car will be okay flying. Don't know if this is always true, but Buddy made the transition with no issues whatsoever.
 
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I haven't had time to read this thread, but want to be sure you aren't making fun of Dave's girlfriend.
 
I've taken my German Shepherd for a few flights. I put a harness on her and locked her in with a seatbelt on the back seat. I already have a harness/seatbelt set up for when we go for convertible rides. She looked out the window the whole time. She seemed to enjoy the view.
 
jesse said:
Very unlikely he would care. If he rides in a car he'll ride in a plane.

Perhaps Ted could shed some light on this.
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I don't know. My Brittany loves riding in a car but he does NOT like flying in the plane.
 
Toby, given this is the first time your dog (yeah, I know. It is a character in a book.) has been in a plane, and you really don't know how he will react, I would suggest putting him in a crate in the baggage compartment. As far as hearing goes, it has been suggested that a one time trip won't hurt them. And I know MY dog wouldn't tolerate anything on his ears.

For what it is worth.
 
Greg Bockelman said:
I don't know. My Brittany loves riding in a car but he does NOT like flying in the plane.
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Greg, does he whimper the whole time when he flies?

I know these are basic questions, but I'm a dog newbie. I've never had a dog of my own, so must learn fast.

I'm very excited -- am meeting with a K-9 officer and his dog on Sunday, and we're going to do a little role-playing to act out a scene in the book. They don't know that yet...hope the dog cooperates.
 
One of my German Shepherds was named Boris.

Ps. German Shepherds don't whimper.

Also, if you are writing about German Shepherds and police dogs, to my knowledge police generally use German working line dogs, or Czech German Shepherds. They don't use American showline dogs. Just fyi.
 
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Toby said:
Hi guys!

To my many friends here who provided technical information while I was writing my first murder mystery over the past several years, thank you for your help. DEATH OVER EASY is finished and making the rounds of agents. You helped me choose guns and knives for sleazeball characters, helped me understand which end of a 182 would head down first if the elevator was knocked off, gave me some pointers on flying an Extra, theorized on whether it would flip upside down when hitting the water and whether you'd pop the canopy on the way down or not, etc. etc. I couldn't have written it without you (look for a mention in the acknowledgments when published).

Now I'm writing the next book in the series, DEATH UNDER THE RADAR, which has a lot more flying in it than the first book did. My main character, Emma, is taking flying lessons and will solo by the end of the book....I think I can handle that part. :)

My question right now is: I have a scene coming up where Emma flies north a couple hundred miles in a Beech Baron with her uncle and a large dog. The dog is a German Shepherd, a former police dog. I doubt he's ever been in a plane before. What kind of restraint would you suggest? Would you put anything over his ears to protect them from the noise? What kinds of experiences have you had flying with dogs -- if you have?

In advance, many thanks.
Click to expand...

I used to fly with my girlfriend and her yellow lab Sadie. The first time I was kinda concerned about getting her in the plane, but not to worry, she bounded up on the wing, in the door and over the seats planting herself happily on the hat shelf where she remained and farted to foulest farts all the way from Concord CA to Laughlin NV. From that flight on all I had to say was "Flying" and she'd be ready to go. She probably has 100hrs on my hat shelf. We never restrained her which I know isn't the safest thing to do, but oh well, the over all risk factor escalation from it is very minimal. It's only a small window of energy where her flying mass will make the difference between life and death. Since she was so happy squeezed into her little den with a view and ventilation factored with it was really impractical to secure her there caused me to just say "f- it, it'll be fine" and it always was.
 
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bluee said:
Also, if you are writing about German Shepherds and police dogs, to my knowledge police generally use German working line dogs, or Czech German Shepherds. They don't use American showline dogs. Just fyi.
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Yeah, the ones our police dept. uses are all Czech.
 
My dog loves car rides, but hates the airplane unfortunately. I guess it's the noise, but we try the Mutt Muffs (see my avatar) and they don't work very well. He's much better in the bigger plane we have now, since he gets his own bench seat, but he still doesn't "enjoy" it, he'll just sit in the back looking uncomfortable and mildly irritated (my wife says he looks more concerned or scared than irritated). Once we land, however, he immediately forgets about the experience and is back to his normal self.
 
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Toby said:
Greg, does he whimper the whole time when he flies?
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No, he doesn't. He just tries to crawl between my legs and the seat. It doesn't work at all now, but when he was a puppy, not so bad.

I'm very excited -- am meeting with a K-9 officer and his dog on Sunday, and we're going to do a little role-playing to act out a scene in the book. They don't know that yet...hope the dog cooperates.
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Cool. Keep us in the loop.
 
bluee said:
One of my German Shepherds was named Boris.

Ps. German Shepherds don't whimper.

Also, if you are writing about German Shepherds and police dogs, to my knowledge police generally use German working line dogs, or Czech German Shepherds. They don't use American showline dogs. Just fyi.
Click to expand...

Not too many agencies in my neck of the woods use German Shepherds much any more. We almost always used Belgian Malinios around here (although a couple of agencies use a Dutch Shepherd). Lighter, more nimble and would fit in the back of a small plane easier. :D

Mine was in a plane a few times, he did the same thing he did in the patrol car. Paced back and forth from side to side in the seat a few times, then laid down and snoozed until we stopped moving.
 
Henning said:
BTW, I had a ferret that was a great flying pet. He just always lived in my sleeve.
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Now, that is something. Henning, I'm going to borrow that for a character, if you don't mind.
 
ausrere said:
Not too many agencies in my neck of the woods use German Shepherds much any more. We almost always used Belgian Malinios around here (although a couple of agencies use a Dutch Shepherd). Lighter, more nimble and would fit in the back of a small plane easier. :D

Mine was in a plane a few times, he did the same thing he did in the patrol car. Paced back and forth from side to side in the seat a few times, then laid down and snoozed until we stopped moving.
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Say, Lisa, are you a former K-9 officer?
 
Toby said:
Now I'm writing the next book in the series, DEATH UNDER THE RADAR, which has a lot more flying in it than the first book did. My main character, Emma, is taking flying lessons and will solo by the end of the book....I think I can handle that part. :)

My question right now is: I have a scene coming up where Emma flies north a couple hundred miles in a Beech Baron with her uncle and a large dog.

In advance, many thanks.
Click to expand...
Unless Emma's uncle is a multiengine-rated flight instructor, this ain't happening legally. As either a Student Pilot or one who otherwise doesn't have a multiengine rating, she is prohibited from carrying passengers in that twin-engine Baron. So, the dog can fly with her, but her uncle can't. Further, if she hasn't yet been approved for solo, she can't do it at all legally. Of course, if this constitutes an emergency situation (like the Hovitos Indians are closing in with spears and poison dart blowguns), that would be different.
 
The above notwithstanding, the dog will do in the plane whatever it does in a car, so make it consistent with the dog's otherwise-described behavior.
 
Toby said:
What's wrong with Bounder?
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Maybe it's just me but Bounder elicits visions of a smaller jumpy dog. Buddy's name was Berlin when we rescued him, we changed it to Boris. But...I travel extensively and he's goes everywhere with me. Strangers almost always greet a dog w/ "hey, buddy, how you doing?" so, Buddy it became by default.
 
Toby -

When I still had my German Shepherd, Piper, he was my flying buddy for a long time. He flew well, got really excited while taxiing, usually stood up and stared out the window. As soon as we took off, he'd get bored and just lay down and go to sleep.

HOWEVER, we had a scary situation in a Cessna 182, where the door popped open, he was in the backseat, and I got scared. I couldn't close the door (even though it was only cracked open a bit), so I reached back and grabbed Piper's collar and held him tight to keep him from checking out the new noise (lest he fall to his death, 6500 feet below).

The situation scared the crap out of him, probably mostly because of my actions. But as such, he never flew well again. He was scared to death, and would shake every time he got into an airplane.

I lost my flying buddy that day :(
 
My question right now is: I have a scene coming up where Emma flies north a couple hundred miles in a Beech Baron with her uncle and a large dog. The dog is a German Shepherd, a former police dog. I doubt he's ever been in a plane before. What kind of restraint would you suggest? Would you put anything over his ears to protect them from the noise? What kinds of experiences have you had flying with dogs -- if you have?

In advance, many thanks.
Click to expand...

Ron Levy said:
Unless Emma's uncle is a multiengine-rated flight instructor, this ain't happening legally. As either a Student Pilot or one who otherwise doesn't have a multiengine rating, she is prohibited from carrying passengers in that twin-engine Baron. So, the dog can fly with her, but her uncle can't. Further, if she hasn't yet been approved for solo, she can't do it at all legally. Of course, if this constitutes an emergency situation (like the Hovitos Indians are closing in with spears and poison dart blowguns), that would be different.
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Ron, I took this to mean that she was flying with her uncle in his Baron...but maybe not.
 
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Ron Levy said:
Unless Emma's uncle is a multiengine-rated flight instructor, this ain't happening legally. As either a Student Pilot or one who otherwise doesn't have a multiengine rating, she is prohibited from carrying passengers in that twin-engine Baron. So, the dog can fly with her, but her uncle can't. Further, if she hasn't yet been approved for solo, she can't do it at all legally. Of course, if this constitutes an emergency situation (like the Hovitos Indians are closing in with spears and poison dart blowguns), that would be different.
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It could be formation flight - with her uncle off her left wing...
 
Toby said:
I like the sound of this. I've been picturing the dog sitting happily in the back seat, looking around. What if he's 7, 8 years old and never been in a plane? He wouldn't freak out?
Click to expand...

Like this....

CM+3.19.10+002.jpg


After checking out any ramp action Maggie will look out the windows until we are at cruise then its curl up and sleep. Like Jesse mentioned, we also give a simple kennel command and she jumps through the baggage door and she is 115lbs.
 
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Ron Levy said:
Unless Emma's uncle is a multiengine-rated flight instructor, this ain't happening legally. As either a Student Pilot or one who otherwise doesn't have a multiengine rating, she is prohibited from carrying passengers in that twin-engine Baron. So, the dog can fly with her, but her uncle can't. Further, if she hasn't yet been approved for solo, she can't do it at all legally. Of course, if this constitutes an emergency situation (like the Hovitos Indians are closing in with spears and poison dart blowguns), that would be different.
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Hi, Ron! Her uncle is multiengine-rated. It's his airplane, and he's PIC. She's just flying along, and the dog is in the back.

But actually it is an emergency situation, although not poison dart blowguns. On second thought, hmmm....
 
I have a friend who flies a C180 with his ranch dog, Rudder, and he opens the baggage door and rudder hops up and in and then lies down.
I taxied with my little chihuahua mix dog once to see how he'd do... He came over on my lap and stood on his back legs, put his paws on the window and just rode along. Obviously he'd be in his his travel crate in the back if I ever flew with him but I'm pretty sure hed be fine.
Our shepherds were named Ren and Sam when I was a kid.
 
GMascelli said:
After checking out any ramp action Maggie will look out the windows until we are at cruise then its curl up and sleep. Like Jesse mention, we also give a simple kennel command and she jumps through the baggae door and she is 115lbs.
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Hi Gary! So Maggie is actually behind the seat, in the baggage section. I love the photo.
 
I hope the Baron doesn't have electrical problems. :wink2:

Hi Toby. :)
 
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