Passengers: Bodhi, Angel, Smitty, Denny

Departure Airfield: KHEF (Manassas, VA)

Destinations:

KBLM (Monmouth Executive, NJ – Bodhi, Angel, Smitty)

KEWB (New Bedford, MA – Denny)

Aircraft: Piper Archer

Knowing I would be making a trip from VA to MA with my fiancee, I posted a message on the forum advertising the trip.  I was contacted by two rescue coordinators – Colleen, who had Angel and Bodhi, and Laurie, who had Smitty and Denny.  I was originally asked to make three stops to deliver the four dogs, but fortunately we were able to consolidate to two stops.

Both of the rescue coordinators had to work very hard to get the dogs to me in VA.  Colleen enlisted the help of another pilot crew to fly the dogs from NC to me, and Bodhi and Angel ended up staying at my rental townhouse for two days prior to departure.  Laurie drove a couple hours to get Smitty and Denny to me and met me at KHEF with the dogs prior to my departure. I only had a short time to socialize all four dogs together before stuffing them in the cockpit with me and I was a little concerned that perhaps I had bitten off more than I could chew: all four combined were high energy.

Due to a forecasted AIRMET for turbulence along my entire route, my fiancee elected not to fly, so I had the entire aircraft alone to the pups and I.  Given the playful wrestling the dogs showed when I first introduced them, I assumed I’d need it.  However, once I loaded them all in the aircraft, and once they got into the backseat, they all settled down and laid their heads on each other.  Although, Bodhi (the black & white dog) initially refused to vacate my PIC seat!).  Once airborne, the dogs were fine, and they weren’t even crated.  They just slept or looked out the windows.

The dropoff at KBLM went great and Barbie and Rosemary arrived and received the dogs, and the dropoff with Susan at KEWB went well also.

I’m looking forward to my next opportunity to round out my K9 aircrew.