Pilots N Paws Questions

[Marauder]

So, about a year ago I signed up for PnP. Got contacted several times over the year to help with transports. Everyone of them fell through because a leg of the transport couldn't be made. Can someone tell me how these things are supposed to be setup? I really wanted to help these guys this past weekend but the NC to Maryland connection never happened. How is this supposed to work? It looks really unorganized, but I am sure there is some logic to the approach but it seems pretty haphazard. Speaking of North Carolina. There seems to be a lot of transport requests originating from there. Why is that? I know my two personal rescues came from there. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[The-sky-captain]

I've ran into the same issue with Angel Flights. I've been approved for 3 over the last couple of weeks but all have fallen through. I think one was due to commercial tickets getting donated and the others were because the patient had gotten ill and had to be admitted locally. I love dogs and have given thought to PNP but haven't pulled the trigger yet. My own dogs that I had for 16 years (RIP boys, as of last month) never flew with me because they were so dang big and hairy. That said, I've had some big and hairy human passengers as well...!!

[animalmover]

I'm a volunteer and unorganized is putting it mildly sometimes. Some of the requested trips are a monumental task ( coast to coast ). I don't have specific numbers but I would say most pilots sign up with the thought of flying 200-300 miles each way. Getting 2 or more pilots being able to schedule on the same day is rough. Then add the rescue party at one end, the receiving person and a vet check to come together etc... All I've been able to accomplish is to volunteer when I can and if it works out I feel good for the ones that get to where they need to be.

Good Luck

[neilpilot]

I fly Pilots-n-Paws and ARF.  ARF will put together and coordinate the legs, but activity is nowhere near P-n-P,  As you have found out, P-n-P is hit or miss.  While some of the requests are rescues who step up and actively try to coordinate, others let the pilots do all the coordination.  Some posters have no concept of the speed and fuel cost of a GA aircraft.

 

I rarely volunteer for a P-n-P flight unless the other legs are already filled or I have a long flight planned and can do the entire transport.  My last P-n-P flight was direct KAWM (my base) to KBLM, about 870 NM with one fuel stop.  Since I already planned on flying to KBLM anyway, the P-nP component was an easy add-on and required no inter-pilot coordination.

[Marauder]

Thanks for the information. This PnP had me perplexed. I really, really want to help but the last few were just a mess.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[neilpilot]

BTW there are more rescues from the south (NC, MS, TN, etc) because there are more dogs left to run loose and fewer owners who believe in birth control.  I've probably done 20 dog rescue flights, moving up to 6 at a time (in a Mooney).  The only flights that aren't going north from Memphis are the few transporting dogs up from NOLA.

 

PS - my wife is director of the Midsouth Spay and Neuter Clinic, a non-profit in Memphis TN.  She often will fly along as dog handler, but when I first started rescue flights I had to have her promise that none of the passengers would become ours.  Our rescue flies copilot on occasion.  Here he is right seat on the flight back from this year's MAPA Homecoming.

http://mooneyspace.com/gallery/album/13961-copilot-on-return-from-2014-mapa-homecoming/

[lahso]

With PnP, we (the pilots) really have to coordinate the trips. In general, the requesting party doesn't know how we operate. They just know the pup needs to get to a particular destination.

 

ARF is better organized from that perspective.

 

Most of my PnP trips have been worked out between the pilots, then we told the rescue folks when/where to be.

[orionflt]

Chris,

Talk to Jack about PNP, he has done hundreds of flights. I'm not sure who contacts him but for a while he was doing a flight every weekend. you may even be able to get a face to face with him since he has been coming over to new garden a lot lately.

 

Brian

[Marauder]

Chris, Talk to Jack about PNP, he has done hundreds of flights. I'm not sure who contacts him but for a while he was doing a flight every weekend. you may even be able to get a face to face with him since he has been coming over to new garden a lot lately. Brian

Thanks for reminding me about Jack. I did run into him at New Garden one morning last November. We were both on our way to New York State and he was stopping over for our "cheap" gas. He mentioned that he was doing a rescue run. Can you PM his contact information? I don't think he comes to this board. And if he does, it is not often. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Danb]

Chris Iv done both and Angel flight is organized  compared to PNP, you may know Dennis Einstein who has done numerous missions with PNP, of so give him a rap and he will clue you in...I'd personally do Angel Flight, Brett has some contact with a different organization similar to AF you could also give him a rap. If you have any questions PM me and  we can discuss it, I know AF has gone through a few administrators and they are not as good as before

[aviatoreb]

I moved 9 chihuahua's in my mooney this past spring with my son. That was fun!

[Amelia]

I've done several PnP, maybe four of them, and they were fine, but have had a lot of requests from very far away from me (that information is available!) to even farther away from me, asking if I can transport two full grown Labs and a crate full of puppies. Uh, nope.  I wonder if they just spam everybody in the southeast. Sometimes I'll post my upcoming route, offering rides, but get no takers. It does seem a little hit or miss. Too bad they can't afford a real coordinator. But it IS irksome that Angel Flights and Veterans Airlift Command will assign a trip, and then cancel it at the last minute...I think they just get a fancier offer......sigh...

[aviatoreb]

I've done several PnP, maybe four of them, and they were fine, but have had a lot of requests from very far away from me (that information is available!) to even farther away from me, asking if I can transport two full grown Labs and a crate full of puppies. Uh, nope.  I wonder if they just spam everybody in the southeast. Sometimes I'll post my upcoming route, offering rides, but get no takers. It does seem a little hit or miss. Too bad they can't afford a real coordinator. But it IS irksome that Angel Flights and Veterans Airlift Command will assign a trip, and then cancel it at the last minute...I think they just get a fancier offer......sigh...

 

There is a filter on your PnP setting that describes how far off you are willing to consider a flight path, so you can reduce that radius if you wish.

[Marauder]

Chris Iv done both and Angel flight is organized compared to PNP, you may know Dennis Einstein who has done numerous missions with PNP, of so give him a rap and he will clue you in...I'd personally do Angel Flight, Brett has some contact with a different organization similar to AF you could also give him a rap. If you have any questions PM me and we can discuss it, I know AF has gone through a few administrators and they are not as good as before

Is Dennis the DPE at Wilmington? Name sounds familiar. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Danb]

He is the insurance broker,flight examiner,and instructor..Einstein insurance..saved me numerous$$. He is upstairs at a Dales avionics shop

[mulro767]

Just flew a German Shepard yesterday from Cloquet, MN to Omaha, NE. It was the first leg of three for the girl who is going into law enforcement screening. The logistics and coordination planning is usually set up between two rescue organizations or a specialized trainer in some cases. It can be very frustrating when you commit to a mission and it falls through. The one leg missions are rare but easy. It's just you and the party that posted on PNP. But when multiple pilots and several states of travel are involved, the mechanical and weather headaches multiply. The mission yesterday almost fell through the night before because the last pilot lost access to an airplane (rental). Luckily a third pilot stepped up at the last minute. I usually volunteer for 2-3 mission a month and maybe do one of them. It's frustrating but very rewarding!

Don't give up on the pup.

[DrBill]

As said above, the poster has no clue on breaking up a trip into legs.  When I see a trip I can help in, I break it into legs and post the legs.  Then others can sign up for a leg on a specific date. Sometimes the poster can get a foster home for a dog for a night at a transfer if pilots can't meet up.

 

BILL

[JohnB]

I've transported 80 animals so far for pilots and paws, and it's great. There has to be a coordinator to make things go smoothly. You might look in your area on the "done" transports to see who is the coordinator for these flights to get going. Once you get used to the process, you can help a little bit, but there still needs to be some volunteer behind the scenes contacting all of the drivers

[Marauder]

I just wanted to report in that I did my first PnP trip. As others mentioned above, "someone" needs to coordinate it. I was fortunate a pilot who flies for U.S. Airways coordinated the flight for a puppy going from Orlando to New Hampshire. In fact, he took the first leg from Orlando to Ocean City Maryland! I took the pup from KOXB to Orange County New York. Never seen such an appreciative dog before! He knew he was going someplace nice. Made the whole trip worthwhile when we said good-bye and he turned and gave my wife a kiss. Tell me he does not look like he is thinking "I'm going flying!"

[Marauder]

Second mission in the books. Was a howling success!

[aviatoreb]

Nine chihuahua's in a Mooney.

[Marauder]

So, what is it with dogs and passing gas in an airplane?

[DrBill]

Of all the dogs I've flown, only ONE was noticible for his flagelance.  REALLY noticible.   We mentioned it to the pilots of the next leg and they confirmed after the flight was over that "Rusty" was feeling no pain !

 

BILL