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Flying w/dog?

peeto

Registered User
A question for all you SC/PA-12 flyers...any of you ever take fido along with you on your flight adventures? The reason I'm asking is that I'm in the market for an a/c but I would need room for my dog copilot...would the Cubcrafters extended baggage area hold an 80#lab? How about the rear seat (with belt attachment)? It would work in a citabria and a Champ EC so I would think it would in a SC or am I way off base??? Thanks.
 
Al King on here that flies a North Star carts his German Sheppard around in his luggage compartment. Maybe he'll chime in if he sees this post. If they're in the passenger seat...a dog body harness is a must to attach to the seat belts to keep them stationary. Another must if you want your dog to come when you whistle two years from now is hearing protection..do a search for that thread...much discussed there in the past!

Cheers,
Wayne
 
My black lab has over 300 hours in 3 SuperCubs. You want a lab on the 3rd seat floorboard -- not in the aft baggage. I usually loaded the aft baggage, placed the rear seat cushion over the hole and secured it, then secured Z-dawg to the seatbelt frame as you observed. Agree -- start looking through the threads on hearing protection. Take the rear stick out.
 
Take the rear seat back out and lay it in the baggage, or remove the rear seat completely if you have a A model. A big dog needs more room for his hind end when seated than a human. With the seat back out,his hinder will sit on the baggage floor, forepaws on the seat cushion.
The rear stick isn't a big deal, if his head is in the way, a few good wacks in the nose will wise him up. The rear throttle is a bigger deal. Dogs like to look outside, and rest there nose on the windowsill. If they move their head aft, they knock the throttle to idle, which can be alarming if you are not ready for it.
It's best to train them from pup on, expecially on how to load up. They can claw the hell out of fabric if they miss the door. I have a aluminum plate on the fuselage just behind the lower door just for this.
Hearing loss for the dog is a issue, but if it's a huntin hound, they are probably deaf from shot guns being blasted over their head anyway, so it isn't a big issue.
 
My old German Shepard patrol dog used to love flying in the PA-12. I took out the rear stick after one incident, and put a piece of carpeted plywood over the area.
The only problem was that he would go nuts and bark down at some of the neighbor dogs while we were in the pattern.

Both my labs got plane sick and puked all over the place every time they flew.

Now my daughter has Roxie the idiot sled dog. She does OK in the Cub when I use her pulling harness and tie it off to the baggage tie-downs. But now I have long sled dog hair all over the place and it weaves it's way into the seats.

I am starting to wonder if Elvis the Maine Coon Cat would like to go. He likes to drive down to the airport in the fuel truck. Still trying to teach him to open a beer bottle.
 
Flying with dogs

I had a "Cockamut" that had probably 1000 hours of flying with me, probably split 1/2 and 1/2 with C-185 and cub. She always wanted to sit on my lap, and never was a problem. If I was landing I would toss her in the back on the seat (or front passenger seat in 185) and she would stay put and watch the landing. My Lahsa Apsa I have had for the last 3 years probably has 75 hours now, and he just likes to lie on the rear seat and look out the window. Both of these lap mutts would prefer to snuggle with passenger if I had one onboard. I have no rear seat controls at all (removed rear stick by cutting touque tube behind rear bushing, no rudder pedals, no rear throttle) so that is not an issue. Both really would go nuts when driving up to the plane, and the cockamut would do circles when seeing me pickup the plane keys!!!
 
I tie my lab off to the rear shoulder harness, other wise she thinks the best place to be is in the back of ext baggage, then want's to look out on landing, and go back in the baggage. Makes for a busy final app :eek: I've had 3 labs they all allmost always went in the cub with me. This is the only one I've had that didn't just go to sleep right after take off. One liked to bump the throttle open in the flare while she was looking out, A few smacks on the nose with it fixed it.
 
My fifty pound Australian Shepherd has a couple of hundred hours in the -14.

No stick or throttle problems when she's in the back seat of this a/c.

I haven't belted her in, but have thought about the prudence of it just about every time she loads up.

A friends border collie has been deaf for the last 5 years of her life from riding in rescue choppers, Cubs, and 185's.

Apparently the foamy earplugs with the little cord to keep them handy were put into use a little too late in this dog's life.

Anyone have a better hearing protection method than the foamy plugs w/cord? I'd love to hear about it

DAVE
 
I always wondered if somebody who was a real sewing expert could make a little canvas helmet for a K-9.

My old 110 pound patrol Shepard (Bruno) was around the shooting range a lot more than he would have liked to have been and he was still able to hear fairly well. Or maybe he just sensed things. Best dog I ever had, other than his wanting to stick his head out of the rear cub window and bark at the dogs down in their yards. He would get kinda excited and tear up the seat sometimes.

Once when he was not supposed to be going, my kid let him out of the truck while I was getting ready to take-off. The next thing I know, my stick slammed forward as he jumped on the elevators. His claws went right through the fabric.
 
Dogs.....

another thread mentioned Mr. Hudchinson?? in Talkeetna?

(been south too long to remember). Met him a couple of times, more stories and knowledge than we can imagne. Anyway, there was a book about him flying his best friend's best dog, and the dog not liking the flight somewhere over the big river I think. Story was that the pooch took a mid-winter header at 4.5....

Took his friend back there on skis when the weather cleard for body recovery, but the dog came bounding out of the trees happy to see them....

I was flying dogs for a race, and one of the dogs got loose after chewing up my seat, cowl cover and seat frame; puked, then hit the door handle with it's paw and headed out :oops: Holding a dog while landing is not fun.

TIE THEM UP! it only takes once. A short neck line cliped to the airplane will stop lots of problems.

My 2 cents
 
I flipped my door handle over just for that reason. Works good and dog can't open it.
 
We can't leave them behind - really well behaved from day one.

flydogs_2.jpg
 
I've heard some stories of dog and cat "bombs" resulting from misbehaving animals. I guess that one about Hudson and the dog/bomb surviving has a nice ending.

The clip-in advice is well-taken, though my Aussie has been a "perfect" co-pilot since the 10 week age. My new Huskie pup is a different story. He spends the whole time looking out "his" window for our next landing zone. The Aussie just lays down and sleeps after loading up. I guess no two are the same, just like kids!

Those sure look like happy pups in the photo above!

DAVE
 
Seriously happy ......... very alert on the take off, sleep in the cruise - although the little Jack Russell spends some time looking out of the window - wake up - wag tail in the descent - and keep a sharp eye on Dad during the landing ..... we are planning a 12 days trip around the South African coast next year and they are both coming with us ........ should be a real good experience.
 
My wife bought this one for $1.00. She tried to give him to me for Christmas 5 years ago. I said, "I don't want that dang dog!", She said,"But Honey its your Christmas present." When he screws up, he's her dog. He does spend a good bit of time with me.
He hates to fly. I have to pick him up and put him in the plane. I think its the noise. In the plane he is no problem. The first flight he tried to get in my lap on final. I grabbed his collar and threw him in the back seat. That solved the problem. He is getting a little better in jumping in the plane. First Lab I ever seen that didn't love to fly.
Pic of Ol Bear Dawg.

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He's pretty good at pointing moose and trailing Bear, other wise I'd trade him for one of them little rat looking dogs, and use him for Wolf bait. By the way dogs and cats make excellent Wolf bait. But, I digress, some day when I have more time and beer, I'll have to do a dissertation on that subject. Naaa, on second thought, I won't. This is a family site. :angel:
 
Ol Bear Dawg would like that. He watches all the cats and dogs on the TV now. I'm sure he would enjoy a Calendar, as long as there wasn't any of them little rat looking dogs in it. :D
 
TJ It was good to see the Ole Bear Dog again in the pic but which one was he (who is holding who?)

I fly with my dog Eli alot he has been to Alaska with me both on floats and on wheels. He prefers floats because he is a duck dog. I sometime use a horse harness connected to a seat belt to restrain him.
 
WOW- Thanks all for the great replies, and pictures...great looking pups and stories that accompany them...looks like I can add the SC/PA-12 to my list of dog compatible a/c...now if I can just get the hearing protection thing figured out...
 
Putting Molly the 45 LB shepard in Miss Daisy

Hi Guys, I once used a harness to tie up my small 45 lb shepard in the pickup She however turned on my seatbelt and gnawed through it. I was thinking of keepig the rear belt adjusted up tight in my SC. If anyone has any thoughts on how to get the dog to leave cotton balls or foam plugs in Please let me know I am all ears. The insulated hat and chin strap sounds like the best option if I can only convince my wife to sew one up without sizing me up for a straight jacket. She still says I haven't been right in the head since I bought my cub. Oh Well. Thanks John
 
I gave a ride to a homely lady one day while looking for wolves. She got sick just as I was in the trees juking and jiving and found the pack's tracks. I had to return to Fairbanks. OOOOOOPs wrong kind of DOG. Sorry. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Sadie the PIB (pup in back). She can snooze in the back seat of the -12. Butt on one sidewall head on the other. I think she would be a little cramped in the seat of an -18 though.

Scott..

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