Has anyone had a problem taking their dog on trips at higher altitudes? My wife doesn’t like to leave the dog at home. I pick up my plane in 30 days. Can’t wait.
It’s no the altitude, it’s the attitude (the dog’s, that is).
My airplane partner took his dog all the time - of course he also took his dog motorcycle riding. I’ve taken my golden retriever several times in my old 182.
Stuffing cotton in bowser’s ears would be merciful.
No big dog is going to scratch up my SR-22 when I get it in a couple of months, though!
Our Golder rides with us in our brand new SR20. Seat covers and blankets are a must. He likes it much better than our old Cherokee 180…
Never name a dog “clear”
Luke, my 85 lb. dog has no problems. He is a great flyer and, probably due to his sight hound lineage, is great at looking for traffic. He has a nose for finding the bearing to home, but is lousy on the radios. He, however, does not allow anything in his ears. The altitude nor noise seem to have any effects.
There have been articles in Aviation Safety (I think. I’ll look for them.) on flying with dogs, and I would strongly recommend that you try a test flight before taking fido on a vacation. I’d plan a short test flight on a good, smooth day with someone else that your pooch trusts and finds comfort in to sit in the back with him.
If he is small enough for a carrier, that would be best. They do make harnesses for dogs in cars, which you may want to try. I also put him in the “Remarks” section of the flight plan. If nothing else, it makes for good conversations with ATC.
Marty
Last week, we picked up our new 8-week-old English Bulldog in our SR22. I decided that the 30 min flight would be less trauma on the pup than the 2 hr 30 min drive home. My better half contemplated being in a car with me for 5 hrs and decided that two 30 min flights would be less trauma on all mammals involved. I asked my vet’s opinion before making the decision…he felt that most dogs could endure the motion and pressure changes as well as humans, and that it would be no problem.
After all the back-and-forth decision making, phone calls to the vet, asking friends their opinions, etc. etc…the d@*n dog slept the entire flight. It’s a good thing for him that he is extremely cute.
Kelly Rudy
(P.S. Did ya’ think I would tell that story and NOT attach a picture of little “Tug”?)
In reply to:
Last week, we picked up our new 8-week-old English Bulldog…It’s a good thing for him that he is extremely cute.
Kelly,
He is extremely cute! I have only one question: How did you get him to press his face against the glass for the photo? [;)]
Hope the last trip was typical of all the rest you’ll take with your wife and Tug.
Mike.
Yes, but what about cats? Vets say their hearing is more sensitive then talks. Just checked QuietFlight technology but they can’t fit it in a Cirrus. Any ideas, please???Wife goes or no goes based on cats when stay is a week or more.
James,
I’ve never done it. A few years ago, I corresponded with one Pam Griffen from King Schools. Here’s what she had to say:
We started out in a Tobago. Those gull wing doors have huge windows and she
just sat there looking down. Later I flew either a 152 or 172 and she stood
up on her back legs to see. I never went above 7,000 feet with her. The
first few times we went and before getting started I let her explore the
whole plane to get it out of her system. She was so interested in everything
going on outside that she stayed in the seat once I started to taxi. It
sounds like you have a cat like Penny. I also used a headset so she wouldn’t
hear all those different voices. They have to trust you totally and be very
laid back. Let me know if you do it.
Glenn
Please try this experiment with your cats:
Take as many as you have on your next flight. Climb to at least 10,000’ AGL. Drop the cats and see if they land on their feet. Let us know the results.
Oh, please ensure that you avoid hitting anything on the ground as this would violate the FARs.
Marty
Glen and Everyone:
I sincerely apologize for my last extremely insensitive post. Please forgive me in my moment of feline weakness.[:)]
Marty
To this thread, I offer the following addition, with no comment. To the best of my knowledge, it was originally published in the Pacific Flyer in July 1994.
*** SECRET OF ANTI-GRAVITY REVEALED BY ORACLE ***
This question was posed to the Occult Engineering Oracle.
If you drop a piece of buttered toast, it will fall on the floor butter-side down. If a cat is dropped from a window, or other high and towering place, it will land on its feet.
But, what if you attach a piece of buttered toast, butter-side up to a cat’s back and toss them both out a window? Will the cat land on its feet? Or will the butter splat on the ground?
And, in response, thus spake the Oracle:
Even if you are too lazy to do the experiment yourself, you should be able to deduce the obvious result. The laws of butterology demand that the butter must hit the ground; and the equally strict laws of feline aerodynamics demand that the cat cannot smash its furry back into the dirt.
If the combined construct were to land, nature would have no way to resolve this paradox. Therefore, it simply doesn’t fall. That’s right, you clever mortal (well, as clever as a mortal can get), you have discovered the secret of antigravity! A buttery cat will, when released, quickly move to an altitude where the forces of cat-twisting and butter-repulsion are in equilibrium.
This equilibrium point can be modified by scraping off some of the butter, providing lift; or adding some, allowing descent. Most of the civilized species already use this principle (addition or removal of butter) to drive their space-ships whilst within a planetary atmospheric system.
The loud humming heard by most sighters of UFOs is, in fact, the purring of several hundred tabbies.
The most obvious danger is, of course, if the cats manage to eat the buttered toast off their backs, they will instantly plummet. Of course, the cats will land on their feet, but this usually doesn’t do them much good, since right after they make their graceful landing, several tons of red-hot starship, and a group of thoroughly pissed off aliens, come crashing down on top of them.
Marty, you’re pushing your luck!
Misty
Official Trans-Goleta Mascot
Vertical drop from 10000 feet! Is this a “CAT I” or “CAT II” approach?
Thanks to all that replied. I shared the posts with my wife who’s now very anxious to meet all of you. You might not see her coming at the next convention, but you’ll no doubt know her when she meets you. She’s the one with very long claws, ah, I mean nails. She also wonders if any of you have jobs. Or, at least had jobs. Again, thx!
In reply to:
Marty, you’re pushing your luck!
Misty
Official Trans-Goleta Mascot
Marty,
I wouldn’t worry. This is typical cat behavior. This particular kitty registered only 8 minutes before posting this, her only post on the forum. I’m not certain about this, but I think she’s a known and wanted feline. I’ll check on Monday when I go to the Post Office. If they catch her, she’ll get no bail – she’s a known flight risk.
Mike.
I think you guys need more to do!
We do! We’re out of cats. Glenn, do you have any to spare?
You guys need one of “Hurricane Skunk Works” spud chuckers, see the attachment. These suckers are good for hours of fun at the local airport and are cheap to operate. With the right propellant, (Right Guard) you will send a spud many feet in the air. While you won’t recover the core of the potato you can make some nice potato skins out of what’s left… [:S]
REWARD! Lost Cat. Black and white tabby, Very Talented. Does multiple impressions. Last seen somewhere between St. Louis and Kansas City at 11,000’ and descending rapidly. Usually responds to “Swoosh” but might be deaf as she failed to respond during her impersonation of laser guided bomb.
Chuck Mihout
PS: If you can’t find Swoosh, I’ll gladly pay for any atheletic cat.