Big dog in a PA18. Is it possible?

Ington6 said:

Hi guys.
im not currently a SC owner but am searching. I have a big 80 lb dog that likes to ride along with me at all times. I’m wondering how reasonable is a SC for my missions if they include a big dog and sometimes a 115 lb lady? Should I just come to reality and start looking at -12s instead? Or maybe a Pacer? I would love the Cub but the other two in my life always want to come along. Thank you in advance for your advice

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cubdrvr said:

FWIW........I hunt with my vet here in SD and we load up two labs ( one 50# and one 75#) on our trips......but I have ext. baggage.
One dog and a pax should be no problem.

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stewartb said:

It’ll depend on your dog’s agility. In my old -12 wife and 65# dog shared the back seat. That dog could leap in easily and could have leaped over the back seat into the baggage area but she had no interest in that. For wife's sake we tried to keep the dog out of the river, mud puddles, dead fish, etc but that didn't always work out. My current 75# dog is equally athletic but there’s no need to jump high. My baggage door is sized appropriately for a big dog even as they age and their springs wear out. This guy has grown since this pic was taken. I tie him short of being able to get into the rear seat, because he would if her could.

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Oliver said:

Fwiw:
My dog loves the bed if my pickup, goes everywhere with me.
Airplane, not so much. Trembles and nervously pants the whole time .
That was in a Maule, easy loading, plenty of room.
Confines of a Cub combined with difficult loading may not be to his liking.
Think most dogs need to be introduced to planes at an early age, especially large breeds.
Hopefully, your dog will adapt, maybe a test ride in a plane would determine that - before basing airplane purchase on dog hauling capabilities.

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mvivion said:

Whoa….first a few questions:

Does the subject Super Cub have the 2000 pound gross weight kit installed?

Second, Does said SC have the third seat conversion installed? Stock baggage may not be rated for 80 lb dog. Extended baggage certainly is not.

Third, You need to figure a weight and balance, using your ACTUAL weight, and your passengers ACTUAL weight, plus that 80 pound pup, of course, plus the fuel and gear required for the flight, and see where the gross weight and CG winds up.

These kinds of questions are often posted on forums, but are impossible to answer at least legally, without more information. If your proposed Cub doesn’t have the GW increase, two people of even moderate weight and an 80 pound dog with much gas probably won’t be legal.

Etc.

Finally, in my earlier years, I owned a PA-12, and my companion (who loved to fly) was a 110 pound Chesapeake Retriever. As a young person, getting that big dog in the back seat took some serious lifting. Even getting an 80 pound lab into a cub safely will involve some minor gymnastics.

If twer me, I’d be looking at a bit larger plane, in other words.

MTV

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JohnnyR said:

Warning - thread drift: Flying with a Chessie? Your plane will never be stolen or otherwise molested whilst Rover is about. Those are some of the best dogs in the world - period. (I might be a little biased, growing up on the Chesapeake and retiring first time around on Maryland's fabled eastern shore)

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