I am currently working on getting my PPL and am also at the very beginning of my quest to identify what would be an ideal plane for my mission going forward, either to buy or to make arrangements to rent on a regular basis. On a high proportion of my flights, my two decent sized dogs will be passengers. My search is limited to 4 or 6 seat piston singles.
I can use the search function just fine, and I have already spent countless hours reading "what should I buy" threads. As such, I don't see much purpose rehashing topics that have already been beaten to death, but there hasn't been much said about the topic a big dog's ingress and egress from small planes. In the the interest of staying on topic, this is the only aspect I am considering at this point, since I suspect it will greatly limit my options and it makes sense to me to start my analysis with the variables that will eliminate the most possibilities.
One of my dogs is 110 lbs and the other is 70 lbs. Both are mobile, but the larger dog is getting older and has lost a step or two. I too have lost a step or two (I am in my late 30s) but I can carry the big guy without much trouble. However, it seems like it is asking for trouble to frequently carry a 110 lbs dog while climbing onto a wing (possibly during inclement weather) and then into a plane.
An obvious place to start is high-wing planes (i.e., Cessnas) and planes with large double doors aft of the wings (e.g., a Bo). Given my lack of experience, I am hesitant to consider the latter type of plane at this time.
How about planes that require people and pets to climb on the wing? I have Philip Greenspun's recounting of his trips and he flew everywhere with his dog in a DA40, so I suppose at least one person made that work. By the way, for all you dog lovers, I highly recommend Greenspun's article that is homage to his dog that died.
I am interested in hearing anything anyone has to say on this topic. I realize there are other considerations when flying with animals, such as oxygen and noise, but those topics have already been covered at length.
I can use the search function just fine, and I have already spent countless hours reading "what should I buy" threads. As such, I don't see much purpose rehashing topics that have already been beaten to death, but there hasn't been much said about the topic a big dog's ingress and egress from small planes. In the the interest of staying on topic, this is the only aspect I am considering at this point, since I suspect it will greatly limit my options and it makes sense to me to start my analysis with the variables that will eliminate the most possibilities.
One of my dogs is 110 lbs and the other is 70 lbs. Both are mobile, but the larger dog is getting older and has lost a step or two. I too have lost a step or two (I am in my late 30s) but I can carry the big guy without much trouble. However, it seems like it is asking for trouble to frequently carry a 110 lbs dog while climbing onto a wing (possibly during inclement weather) and then into a plane.
An obvious place to start is high-wing planes (i.e., Cessnas) and planes with large double doors aft of the wings (e.g., a Bo). Given my lack of experience, I am hesitant to consider the latter type of plane at this time.
How about planes that require people and pets to climb on the wing? I have Philip Greenspun's recounting of his trips and he flew everywhere with his dog in a DA40, so I suppose at least one person made that work. By the way, for all you dog lovers, I highly recommend Greenspun's article that is homage to his dog that died.
I am interested in hearing anything anyone has to say on this topic. I realize there are other considerations when flying with animals, such as oxygen and noise, but those topics have already been covered at length.