A more recognizable one- with a twist!

[beaky]

OK, airplanes only. Here's a recognizable type, but in addition to the make and model, I want specific information about the modification made to this particular airplane. Hint: it had to do with a Hollywood celebrity who is still seen often in movies, years after dying...

[ChuckMajik]

It's the Ryan B-1 Special, also refered to as the MGM Special.
It was retrofitted with a cage so that Martin Jensen could
carry Leo, the MGM lion, non-stop across the continental US.

However; the aircraft crashed in Payson Arizona, during the year of 1927.
Both occupants survived; or so I've read.

[beaky]

It's the Ryan B-1 Special, also refered to as the MGM Special.
It was retrofitted with a cage so that Martin Jensen could
carry Leo, the MGM lion, non-stop across the continental US.

However; the aircraft crashed in Payson Arizona, during the year of 1927.
Both occupants survived; or so I've read.

Good call! Guess that one was too easy, also... anyway, here's an unedited picture (consider it your prize!):


Wonder how Leo liked flying?

[Saratoga]

Nice one. Clever idea, though probably not too comfortable for Leo.

[chomp_rock]

Esp. considering his ears were 10x as sensitive as ours, poor fellow...

[Saratoga]

Well that explains why he growled so much.

[beaky]

Yeah, it'd have been nice to cover his ears, but I doubt they did. Good ol' Roscoe Turner used to fly around with a lion cub; can't remember if he had some kind of helmet or not. If and when I get Peg airborne, I'll probably fit her with a kid's leather helmet or something.
  But then again, she used to love riding in my old Fiat Spider without any protection, and she can still hear a can of dog food opening about a mile away!

[Hagar]

If and when I get Peg airborne, I'll probably fit her with a kid's leather helmet or something.

Now that I would like to see.
If & when this event happens you must promise to post pics.

[Theis]

Nice!
yes remember the pics! (and kids )
Cheers Theis

[Saratoga]

Quite an amusing article in the last Flying magazine about a parachuting dog.

I have taken my animals flying before, just it takes a very cooperative pet, my golden retriever growled at me when we got into some choppy air as if it was my fault!

[beaky]

Quite an amusing article in the last Flying magazine about a parachuting dog.

I have taken my animals flying before, just it takes a very cooperative pet, my golden retriever growled at me when we got into some choppy air as if it was my fault!

Yes- I've seen that daschund- his owner jumps with him strapped to his chest with a sort of baby-carrier dealie. He apparently loves freefall!!

LOL, how odd for a retriever to do that! I bet he was just growling out of confusion, a defense reaction ("heeyyy... who's rattling this box?!"). I've put off taking Peg up until I can find a willing pilot to fly while I stay close to her (and take pictures, of course!!).
  Do you use some sort of harness w/your dogs? I worry about her getting hurt if something happens, but it'd be even worse if I got knocked out in a crash or whatever and she couldn't get out... I guess the bottom line is to restrain 'em so they can't get in your way or get thrown around in turbulence, and not worry so much about nasty "what ifs". I know if she'd talk she'd say: "take me with you- that looks like fun!!"

[Hagar]

I remember many years ago an elderly couple kept their Auster in the club hangar I worked in. The rear seat was specially adapted (it might have been a basket) for their beloved daschund which accompanied them everywhere they went. I forget if this was fitted with seat belt now but they used to go flying almost every weekend.

[Saratoga]

Nope not my airplane, it's one of my FBO's rentals. I just let her sit in the backseat. I bought one of those full-body collars (the ones that go around the front lets and almost to the back legs) for my Fox Terrier, she sits in the front seat and I just run the belt through the collar. Keeps her from going anywhere, but she's a calm dog and just sits there. If you had a hyper dog, could create problems.

Don't really know what you could do to let them get out in the event of a crash, less you can teach them to unbuckle the seat belts.

[beaky]

Man, I couldn't trust Peg to sit still in the front seat! She's not hyper,  but likes to offer kisses at inopportune times, or head-butts me so I'll pet her. Definitely in the back seat!!
In fact, the day I brought her home from the shelter, as soon as I pulled the van onto the highway, she leaped into my lap!! Fortunately, somebody had taught her that "go to bed!" means "get in the back!"; took me awhile to figure that out, like guessing the magic phrase to open a door... ("open... Saskatchewan? Open... sasparilla?")
 Now that I think of it, if the strap securing her to the seatbelt is nylon or whatever, she'd chew through it if she was in trouble and I couldn't help. I initially got a nylon leash for her, and she bit through two of them (in one clesn bite, apparently) before I got wise and got a chain... happened when I tied her up for a minute to go inside a store or whatever- I think she has abandonment issues. How she'd then get out of the plane, I don't know- but hell, I haven't pranged a plane yet, and don't intend to. And if she understood the risk, I bet she'd still want to go.
Your dogs ever get airsick?

[Saratoga]

They've never gotten airsick when I am flying. When I am doing crazy stuff, maybe a little bit lol. I spun an aircraft (won't mention which one because it wasn't certified) with my golden retriever in it, she like backed up more and more into the seat back, seemed to freak her out. Eventually she just kinda curled up in the seat, I stopped the spin, and she wimpered a bit. Five minutes later, all was normal and she was back lookin' out the windows.