Flight Training - June 2021 - 34

Andrew McNamara is an engineer with
Microsoft in Montreal, Canada, and a
self-described " solo adventurer. " However,
on his solo travels in the wilds of northern
Ontario he really isn't alone-he has his
best friend Maverick with him. Maverick
is a 6-year-old golden retriever. McNamara
now flies a Cessna 180, but he started taking
Maverick flying with him in his Piper Super
Cub. A photo of the pair in the bright yellow
Cub was a GoPro Instagram photo of the day
a couple of years ago. McNamara blogs their
adventures on his website, Setting North
(settingnorth.com).
" I mostly do float flying up to Northern Ontario on camping trips. I just fly up
north and check out three to four different
spots that I found on Google Maps. Fly over
each one and then choose one to set up a
tent and camp for three to four days, " said
McNamara. " I love that I can bring my dog
with me fly-in camping. When I first decided
to get a dog, my biggest worry was that he
wouldn't enjoy flying. I slowly introduced
Maverick to flying by just being around

planes as they start up, then taxiing for a few
weeks in planes, then flying with him in the
back. Lots of treats all the time. He's always
reacted very well to flying because he's been
around them regularly since he was 8 weeks
old. His first flight was at 10 weeks old. "
McNamara believes Maverick enjoys flying because he loves the water and camping.
On his blog, McNamara offers unique and
valuable tips for camping with your dog that
you probably won't find elsewhere.
" I think he especially likes flying on floats
because he knows that when we land, he's
going to be up in the wilderness and get to do
a lot of exploring, fishing, hiking, and swimming, " McNamara said. " He loves flying and
it's pretty common for him to stick his head
out the window at 3,000 feet as we make our
way up north. I'm sure a part of why he loves
flying is that he knows that when he gets in
the plane, our destination usually has water!
For Maverick, the plane means camping, and
there is nothing that he enjoys more. "
Maverick took to flying easily, and
McNamara has never had problems with
his dog in the cabin. He did lean on the
window in the back seat and push on the
back throttle in the Piper Super Cub, but
" it was never an issue, " McNamara said. " I
would move the front throttle back where
I wanted it and it would move his throttle
and usually make him uncomfortable and
then he'd shift position. "
He is very calm in the aircraft, and he
wears his Mutt Muffs on every flight.
" I figured that if I am protecting my ears
then I should also protect his, especially
since his are much more sensitive to sound
than mine, " McNamara said.

Tips for travel
Andrew McNamara:
* It's very important to introduce
your dog to flying slowly, and
ideally at a young age.
* I would advise to get Mutt Muffs
for your dog. Maverick took them
off once in flight when he was
very young, and he's never taken
them off since. I believe this is
because it's more comfortable
with them on, which he didn't
realize until he tried it without
them.
Marci Haas:
* I keep Bob in the back seat,
out of my way. I think he also is
comfortable because he is used to
riding in the car and could see me
the same way as in the car.
* You have to research any stops
to find out if dogs are allowed.
And check hotel rules. Bob was
allowed at a hotel, but he couldn't
stay in the room alone. I had to
hire a babysitter to stay with him
when I went out with the local
Ninety-Nines one evening.
Tim Lower:
* In flight have water in a sealed
covered container and some
treats readily available. Justus
likes boiled carrots. Easy to eat,
no accidental choking, and they
contain water; a dry snack would
just make him thirsty that much
faster.
* Plan similarly to taking a baby
along, because basically you are.
* If your dog has medications,
be sure you take along more than
you need, in case you get stuck
somewhere.
* You have to be careful getting
the dog out of the airplane and
securing him quickly and safely,
so he doesn't run across the ramp
or elsewhere.
* Justus has always been great
with three-hour flight legs, but
having puppy pads, plastic
bags, et cetera along is standard
practice.

34  FLIGHT TRAINING JUNE 2021
http://www.settingnorth.com
Flight Training - June 2021

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