My Co-Pilot

[bsdunek]

Sorry guys, I couldn't help it - I had to post this. I just got back from a flight and I snapped a photo of my co-pilot. Not real sharp, but too cute.

[Indopilot]

Cute, but I just got to ask, how much more was the model with legs?

[GAHorn]

Corgi's are good little dogs. Stubborn sometimes, but fun.

[cessna170bdriver]

Bruce,

Karen and I will be spending the Christmas holiday around Pinckney and Chelsea, MI. If time permits I'd like to come up your way and meet you and your co-pilot.

Miles

[flat country pilot]

That's great

I've been thinking about taking our dog, she loves to go to the hangar so what the heck.
Does your dog wear mutt muffs?
Does he/she ride in the front seat or back?

Bill

[bsdunek]

Reilly likes to ride in the front when it's just the two of us. I have one of those harness things that the seat belt goes through to limit his wanderings. The first time he went with me he wanted to be in my lap. OK for cruse but not good for landings! Otherwise he's very good in the plane.
I've wondered about the Mutt Muffs. I don't know if he would wear them or not. Kind of expensive to try and fail. Guess I could sell them on eBay and get some back. I would think he'd like the quiet - Corgi's have very sensitive ears.

[GAHorn]

All dogs have sensitive hearing. I'm certain loud noise is not good for any of us, but my labrador (Roulette!) just loves to travel with us in any vehicle. She lays on the back seat on a towel. Never has a problem.
Watch your dog. If the noise is painful to their ears, they will salivate excessively. The only Corgi I ever flew in the 170 soaked the seat with saliva. The same dog in a twin Cessna 421 had no problems whatsoever and lay by the door asleep.

[pdb]

I used to take my dog all the time but I had her wear a sled dog harness which fits nicely and restrains her with a padded piece around the chest and then runs along her body to her tail. It was secured by a length of rope running from the back end of the harness to a hard point. She could walk around or lie down in the back but was well secured in the event of a crash.

FWIW, my older dog used to jump in the plane by himself when the two of us went somewhere. When my wife went along, the dog would crawl under the car and I would have to drag him into the plane. My wife has never really enjoyed flying and I think the dog picked up on that.

[bsdunek]

All dogs have sensitive hearing. I'm certain loud noise is not good for any of us, but my labrador (Roulette!) just loves to travel with us in any vehicle. She lays on the back seat on a towel. Never has a problem.
Watch your dog. If the noise is painful to their ears, they will salivate excessively. The only Corgi I ever flew in the 170 soaked the seat with saliva. The same dog in a twin Cessna 421 had no problems whatsoever and lay by the door asleep.

Interesting. Reilly hasn't salivated, but I think I'll look into some Mutt Muffs. If he's more comfortable, that would be good.

[GAHorn]

That's a pretty interior. Any more photos of your plane?

[Brad Brady]

My uncle Rodney, used to take his lab....Blacky.....but that was her name, anyway....from the farm here to the cattle ranch in Outuma IA. He said that the only time she looked over the back seat to see what was under neath.....she just whimpered...and sat back on the rear seat.........He said that she never looked out the window again....But she was the first one in the airplane every time he made that trip!!!!

[cfzxo]

A few years back ,wife myself and the aussie cattle dog were heading north up the stewart cassiar for the day. Helio pilot I was talking to just after leaving the home strip near Terrace said that the turbulance further north was pretty bad.( clear blue sky) I air filed with Pacific Center at Kamloops and we were off. First time for( Buddy )our dog as he really likes going places and all was fine until about 30 min into the flight when it started to get pretty darn rough. Up to that point he loved this flying thing, looking out the window and all.I must admit it was getting worse the further we went turbulance and dog air sickness. fortunately I had covered the back seat with a pretty good catch all blanket for Bud, it saved the back seat, and I knew it was time to turn back. I called Kamloops and cancelled my flight plan, telling them that we would be returning to Terrace as we were experiencing a minor difficulty. Terrace flight service called, as they had overheard, asking if we would be requiring an ambulance.I replied negative as it was just a case of air sickness ,but thanks anyway. Terrace flight service comes back to say that they are all having a pretty good laugh To which I reply, so are we as I didn't think they would be able to get Buddy(our dog) into one after this ride He still likes the 4x4 but not the 170b Bill

[GAHorn]

...she never looked out the window again....But she was the first one in the airplane every time he made that trip!!!!

A similar experience occured with my first lab, BlackJack. He looked out the window of our C-206 on takeoff, and as we climbed away from the runway he just sorta "slunk" down onto the floor and laid his head between his paws. He didn't lift his head until an hour later when we landed again, and then all was happy and playful as we got out of the airplane.
He was always ready to go anywhere with me, but he avoided glances outside the airplane after that.... he just laid down low and stayed there until landing, then he'd happily sit up and look outside again!

[bsdunek]

That's a pretty interior. Any more photos of your plane?

Here's an exterior shot. The interior is pretty much all original. Dad repainted the metal trim moldings in the 70's, and I had the front seats reupholstured in 86. The rear seat leather is getting bad, so that's on the agenda. Other than the paint and avionics, everything is just about like it left the factory.

[Metal Master]

The first time I took a dog flying with me was on my Long Cross country while working on my Private power certificate. I already had a glider pilot’s license. My Red Bone Coonhound “Dude” rode in the back seat tied into the seat belt with a short lead. Slack enough for him to move around but not climb in the front seat. He seemed to like it just fine. He had always liked riding in the short wheel base jeeps “real loud” so this was not a big change for him. He was always trying to catch the Crows out in the front yard. So when I crossed over a ridge where a bunch of seagulls were ridge soaring he sat up and took notice and started to howl. So I opened the right side window so he could stick his head out. I knew how this was going to work out since I was cruising at 110 Knots. He stuck his head out real quickly and then right back in. Imagine long floppy ears and hound drewl down the side of the plane. I dropped in to Goldendale WA where my dad was staying in the nursing home after having had a stroke. It was one of the best visits I had ever had with him to that point at the nursing home as Dude was allowed to go into the nursing home to visit. My dad loved Big Dogs. Dude became known as first officer Dude after that as he regularly flew with me. Dude was three dogs ago and now my Black & Tan “Blue” has taken over the first officer duties and loves flying in the plane. I think he is amazed that we can get into the plane and in a short while be some place really interesting to take a walk. Amos My last Coon Hound loved camping and was a good tent partner.

Jim