Dog is my Co-pilot

[hankrausch]

Just did my first "dog rescue" this past week, for Pilots N Paws, took a dog from Ohio back to West Virginia.

Had some equipment problems & then didn't want to land at the first airport (Cambridge OH) due to gusty winds but finally met up with the dog at Parkersburg, WV. I was the last of a long chain of pilots bringing this dog from the midwest over two days, and the fellow who brought the dog to me showed a lot of good humor & patience in the divert to Parkersburg. At least he said he did...

Anyway the dog arrived in a twin Diamond with an extra person to handle him, and there I was in a Tomahawk with no extra person to watch over him! To make things more exciting, the dog had been billed as having a "collapsible crate" but as this was essentially a body bag the dog was having none of it. So the first few minutes were very interesting, I mean the dog was putting his head between my legs and crawling all over and generally going crazy, but as soon as I started the engine and started to taxi he calmed down and slept like a baby for the two hour trip!

Attached is a pic of him snoozing, he is a Pointer and a very cute fellow.





So the trip worked out OK! I think if I do these in the future I will fix an eyebolt in the fuselage that I can tether the dog to as if he had decided to run about during the flight I don't think that would have ended very well!

 

[write-stuff]

Great story, Hank! Good job.

 

[N801BH]

Congrats to you..... Another 4 pawed creature on to a better life.:wink2:

 

[wabower]

Pointers are excitable but usually sweet dogs. Primary danger to nearby people is getting thumped by a wagging tail or slobbered on.

 

[N801BH]

I just blew up the pic......

I assume there is some type of plexiglass cover to keep the dog from crawling into the tailcone where those control cables are .

 

[hankrausch]

Yep! But the big lesson learned is I will put an eyebolt in!

 

[flygirl34q]

Great story about your first P 'n P mission... I still keep in touch with the family who adopted my first P 'n P alumni on FB. It's one of the most rewarding extra-curricular activities you can do with your airplane... and at the same time one of the most fun! Hope there are many more fur-ever happy endings you can make happen and then tell us about here.

 

[Henning]

Just did my first "dog rescue" this past week, for Pilots N Paws, took a dog from Ohio back to West Virginia.

Had some equipment problems & then didn't want to land at the first airport (Cambridge OH) due to gusty winds but finally met up with the dog at Parkersburg, WV. I was the last of a long chain of pilots bringing this dog from the midwest over two days, and the fellow who brought the dog to me showed a lot of good humor & patience in the divert to Parkersburg. At least he said he did...

Anyway the dog arrived in a twin Diamond with an extra person to handle him, and there I was in a Tomahawk with no extra person to watch over him! To make things more exciting, the dog had been billed as having a "collapsible crate" but as this was essentially a body bag the dog was having none of it. So the first few minutes were very interesting, I mean the dog was putting his head between my legs and crawling all over and generally going crazy, but as soon as I started the engine and started to taxi he calmed down and slept like a baby for the two hour trip!

Attached is a pic of him snoozing, he is a Pointer and a very cute fellow.





So the trip worked out OK! I think if I do these in the future I will fix an eyebolt in the fuselage that I can tether the dog to as if he had decided to run about during the flight I don't think that would have ended very well!

Cool deal, sounds like you had fun. I have never had a dog go nuts in the cock pit. My ferret would just sleep in my sleeve. One of our cats stowed away behind the seat in my MM and scared the crap out of me when he climbed over my shoulder to lay in my lap, but it was totally calm on his part.

 

[dell30rb]

I just blew up the pic......

I assume there is some type of plexiglass cover to keep the dog from crawling into the tailcone where those control cables are .

Not to mention having all that weight back there

 

[BrianR]

Glad you found it enjoyable! I've done quite a number of PnP flights this summer and fall, and have found them all rewarding...although I had to search for the reward for sitting squished between the door and a wire crate in the front passenger seat on one flight, for 2 hours...never again! :wink2:

To date, nearly every dog I've transported has fallen asleep shortly after takeoff. Not sure if it's the engine noise, or if it's just because I go high enough to make them hypoxic. (Ok, ok, not really.)

Since I do the majority of them alone, so far I have declined to take any dog unless it could be crated. That's worked out well, although I guess I'd not have a problem tethering them, as long as they couldn't reach anything critical, or cause a CG issue.

I did have a Yorkie sit in my lap for almost the entire flight...but I had another pilot along for that one!