A Happy Lab @ 7000'

[Jeff_S]

Hello all,

Here's a link to a story about a dog rescue I flew yesterday through Pilots N Paws. The circumstances surrounding the story are unfortunate but at least it has a happy ending. I talked to the reporter at length about Mooneys but I recognize that with space limitations he focused on the more important angles. Enjoy!

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/aug/30/second-chance/

[KSMooniac]

Nice job!  Great article with a happy ending.  I fly for Angel Flight and Veterans Airlift Command, and need to check into Pilots n Paws too.

[fantom]

Well done...fine service, nice story and great pooch!

[flight2000]

Awesome job and nice article about GA for a change.  My hanger mate next door to me fly's frequently with dogs as passengers. Not sure if it's the same organization, but it's a great program either way.  If I can ever settle down in one spot, it'd be nice to volunteer my services as well.

Brian

[carusoam]

Jeff,

Nice job.  The picture of Bosco leading the girls is definitely worth 1,000 words.

 

-a-

[Jeff_S]

Bosco definitely had more energy than his years would imply. Once I got him in the back, we used a thin nylon leash that I tied to the clothes-hanging ring to try to secure him back there. But being a Lab, he would have none of that and wanted to make sure things were going okay. Not five minutes into the climb all of a sudden this muzzle appeared next to my head accompanied by a cloud of dog breath, as he had chewed right through that leash.  He spent the rest of the flight mulling around, looking out the window, sticking his nose up in the ceiling air vent to capture the breeze...typical dog stuff!

[flight2000]

That's why they make really nice dog crates......   

Did you notice any change in the aircrafts performance while he was wondering around in the back seat?  A dog that big could theoretically keep the CG moving back and forth.

Brian

[Jeff_S]

Yeah, I challenge you to get a dog crate big enough for a Lab into an M20J!  I finally hit on the solution for the next time. You see, I've got the right rear seat removed to give me some more space in general, so that allowed him to move more freely about the cabin. But I realized that even though the seat is removed, I can still raise the platform that the seat-back slides onto, and that would effectively seal them in the baggage area.

And yes, there was a bit of "induced turbulence" as he moved around but we were never in CG danger even with him all the way at the back of the compartment, so no big deal. Just gave my autopilot-autotrim a bit of a workout!