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Taking the Dogs on Vacation in Your Ideal Aircraft

Flying with canine companions can be fun as long as they have a comfortable place to sleep.

Mozzie, our Australian cattle dog mix, enjoys his window seat. [Credit: Alexa Kemeny]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • A private pilot successfully took his two dogs, Mozzie and Mingus, on their first flight, a 337 nm trip to Maine, nearly a decade after getting his pilot's certificate.
  • The dogs adapted surprisingly well to the flight in the pilot's Commander 114B, sleeping through much of it after removing their hearing protectors and enjoying the views.
  • Though one dog experienced motion sickness during turbulence, the pilot found the overall experience manageable and joyful, appreciating the reduced travel time compared to car trips.
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After passing my check ride to become a certificated private pilot, I made a point of practicing solo flight for several months before taking my wife and sons aloft as passengers. Now that nearly a decade has passed since then, I have finally flown with our two dogs.

To be fair, we did not have Mozzie and Mingus back when I got my ticket, but still, for years I have wanted to take them on a trip. It seemed a little risky in the flying club’s Cessna 172, given the possibility of motion sickness. But now that we have “Annie,” our Commander 114B, which is very smooth in flight, we figured it was time. Besides, we could line the interior with protective padding to absorb any potential messes.

Jonathan Welsh

Jonathan Welsh is Lead Editor of Aviation Consumer and a private pilot who worked as a reporter, editor and columnist with the Wall Street Journal for 21 years, mostly covering the auto industry. His passion for aviation began in childhood with balsa-wood gliders his aunt would buy for him at the corner store. Follow Jonathan on Twitter @JonathanWelsh4

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