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.

Jonathan Welsh

Monday, June 05, 2023 at 02:43 PM ET

Verified

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

Key Takeaways:

A pilot recounts finally taking his two dogs, Mozzie and Mingus, on their first flight—a 337 nm trip to Maine in his smoother Commander 114B, after years of wanting to do so.
Despite warnings, the long flight saw the dogs generally adapt well, eventually sleeping, though one experienced motion sickness during turbulence over Connecticut, leading to a mid-flight cleanup.
The author found the overall experience positive and joyful, likening it to a much faster family road trip with the added comforts and benefits of flying.

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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.