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NuclearFizik

I'm New Here
I will be moving from Canada to the US (Washington, DC) in the next few months and am looking to purchase an RV-4 to make travelling back to Canada easier. The problem is that I will have my dog with me. He is a golden retriever, weighs 75 lbs and doesn't have any issues with flying. He is primarily the reason I am avoiding commercial travel -- cost for return travel with dog is too expensive.

I've been primarily looking at RV-4, on barnstormers, and was wondering if anyone has put a dog in the back seat?

Thanks,

Andrei
 
Only did that once with my 50 lb blue heeler for a short flight. Dog did ok but wanted to crawl into the front seat. If the dog moves around they will impact the rear seat. Easy fix - take it out....
 
Harness

Friend of mine always took his 75lb black lab flying. Normally he would sleep on the back seat. He hit some nasty turbulence one day, and the lab spent the rest of the flight in his lap, scared to death.

A harness to restrict movement would be important, methinks.

Don
 
I have flown with my dog on several XC flights and I've flown a couple of dozen Pilot n Paws missions and most dogs sleep. I have had one dog (about 40 lbs) want to sit in my lap in light turbulence. It was quite a handful as I was solo. Since then I make sure every dog is either in a crate or harnessed so he can't interfere with me. The harness is an easy solution and it keeps you and the dog safe.

It sure is fun going flying with a dog.
 
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Wrong plane for this mission?

I think the 6, 7 or 9 would be a better choice for the dog as there is much more room. If you put him in the baggage area and your luggage in the seat beside you he has more room and can actually turn around if he chooses. The fact that he is isolated from the flight controls is a big safety issue. He will be able to see you and you can even reach over to pet him if he needs reassurance during turbulence. Food for thought.
 
Easy

I fly with my 25lb aussie all of the time. I put a harness on her and clip her into the seat belt system. I take the aft stick out and cover it with a shell so she could not interfere with it. I have ear muffs for her (very important unless you want a deaf dog when they get older) and sun glasses. You can buy both on line. She likes it for about 30 min., and then goes to sleep until we start letting down.
 
Flying Terrier

I have flown with a year old Welsh Terrier in the back of a -4. He is secured in a padded harness clipped to the seat belt. The only issue I had was when he pushed the throttle forward on final. Removing the rear stick is also a good idea.
 
If my dog (42-45 lbs) decides that flying is OK, my test setup removed the back seat of my RV-8, padded the back seat area plus the baggage compartment, and then a harness to the lap belt. The next time I have this setup, I'll take a picture.

Of course, right now he is not thrilled with the airplane so I'm not pushing it.
 
Great suggestions......just a reminder: Whatever is decided, please make sure they can't get loose....and if they do, they can't get to the flight controls.

I have a damaged O-320 in my hangar from a -4 that nosed over on short final from what they think was the pilot unbuckling and trying to reach down and grab a small dog that got down by the pilots feet/rudder pedals. Unfortunately, neither the pilot or dog survived. :(

Dogs are like family, and need to be secured just as well, if not better. I've seen scared dogs on the 4th of July escape things I thought was bulletproof. :)
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. Since I've never flown in any RV, I am currently trying to get a ride in a 4 to decide if its the right one for me.
 
NuclearFizik said:
Thanks for the replies everyone. Since I've never flown in any RV, I am currently trying to get a ride in a 4 to decide if its the right one for me.
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I vote no for your stated mission. I LOVE 4s and they are my favorite airframe. But you are talking long trips with a special passenger. IMO, you'll be better served with a side by side.
My 2 centavos and best of luck to you. :)
 
Flying dogs

I have seen sled dogs flown in something that looks like a duffle with the head sticking out. This is the same way an injured dog is secured in a dog sled. It has a draw string affair around the neck, with the sack secured to the aircraft.
 
I love dogs and dog lovers and anyone who would rescue a dog by plane or wants to take their dog in their plane with them is almost certainly a dog lover. But - and I'm not saying this applies to anyone who posted here - I don't know how anyone can do it without providing ear protection for the dog. RVs are pretty loud planes and if you take your headset off in one I think you'll realize you're likely to suffer hearing damage if you don't put it back on pretty soon. Just because dogs without hearing protection might good-naturedly put up with the noise doesn't mean it isn't damaging their hearing. As Heat said, you're probably giving your dog deafness in its old age (or maybe sooner) if you don't. Just something to think about for the future, whatever plane you decide on.
 
precession said:
I love dogs and dog lovers and anyone who would rescue a dog by plane or wants to take their dog in their plane with them is almost certainly a dog lover. But - and I'm not saying this applies to anyone who posted here - I don't know how anyone can do it without providing ear protection for the dog. RVs are pretty loud planes and if you take your headset off in one I think you'll realize you're likely to suffer hearing damage if you don't put it back on pretty soon. Just because dogs without hearing protection might good-naturedly put up with the noise doesn't mean it isn't damaging their hearing. As Heat said, you're probably giving your dog deafness in its old age (or maybe sooner) if you don't. Just something to think about for the future, whatever plane you decide on.
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Thanks for the suggestion. Definetly a great thing to think about. Before the first flight I ever took my dog on (Cessna 172) I purchased a pair of Mutt Muffs for him. At first he tried to paw them off, but he got used to them over time.
 
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