Picking up Mason
It had been a long, draining week, and I was looking forward to some downtime, with no weekend plans, just to recover. But as often happens, that outlook was about to change. While going through my overcrowded email inbox, I saw a message from Pilots N Paws, looking for a short transport leg for an English Setter named Mason. He’d be arriving by car in Raton, New Mexico on Saturday around noon, and needed a ride from there to Pueblo, to meet his next two transport legs that would get him to a new foster family in Niwot, Colorado.
Niwot is less than ten minutes from my home, and from the airport where my little plane is hangared.
Plan-free weekend promptly forgotten, my fingers were already tapping out a reply, letting the rescue know that I’d be happy to pick Mason up in Raton and deliver him to Longmont in a single transport leg –and about two and a half hours in the air for Mason’s first flight.
Within an hour, the details were worked out. That evening, I took the back seat out of my little airplane –a small two-seater I’d named Loki when I bought it as a student pilot 10 years ago– and removed the rear controls, to make room for a comfy bed for Mason. I also grabbed a harness and leash and a few treats for an in-air snack service for my four-legged passenger.
The next morning dawned with perfect flying weather, and a good forecast into the early afternoon, so I happily pulled Loki out of the hangar, did a preflight inspection, and updated Karen, my rescue transport contact, on my ETA in Raton. Winds were mostly favorable, and it would be about a five hour round trip. It was a beautifully smooth flight down, a bit hazy from all the recent moisture and storms we’ve had, and I enjoyed seeing a normally brown landscape wearing lusher shades of green.
A pretty landing always makes me happy, and the one in Raton was just that, despite somewhat gusty conditions. I want to give a shout out to this little airport: I’ve flown to KRTN a few times, for fun and for PNP, and the staff are friendly, helpful, and courteous, the gas prices low, and the area just lovely to explore. If you’re ever in the area and looking for a place to land, this spot has my highest recommendation.
Five minutes after refueling, Terry arrived with Mason. Terry had driven Mason and a Doberman Pinscher up from Amarillo, and despite several hours on the road, he was delightfully cheerful, warm, and friendly. He made sure Mason was properly situated, and stayed to watch us take off.
After a wing wag, and spotting an antelope on the taxiway as we climbed out, Mason and I were on our way to his new foster home. He LOVED the bed, and spent a good while nesting and rolling on it, making fur fly everywhere in the cockpit. But he did eventually settle down, and seemed to enjoy the views out the window in between naps. I climbed to 10,500 for some cool air, and got cleared through Denver’s class B airspace, giving us a lovely view of downtown Denver and shaving a few minutes and several miles off our route.
Shortly after landing at Longmont, Mason’s new foster mom Richelle arrived to pick him up. In parting, Mason took a quick whiz on my leg, letting me know he considered me “his” pilot. That evening, I got a nice note from Richelle with some photos. I don’t know what his former life was like –though his bad teeth tell a story of neglect– but Mason has clearly hit the foster home jackpot, and seems to be settling into his new existence, and swimming pool, with aplomb.
-Marijke Unger, PNP Pilot
