RESCUES PLEASE READ/PILOTS PLEASE ADVISE

[admin]

Hi all,

Thanks to all of you for joining the Pilots-N-Paws group. Working together to save these animals and get them to a safe haven is the goal we all want to achieve.

I felt that I needed to point out that some of the distances you are requesting are simply too far for one small plane pilot to accomplish. I have the average distance stated under guidelines but I feel it needs repeating.

When we think of planes and flying, most of us have jets in mind and picture going across the country in four hours. Well, true, in a large jet you can. But most small planes fly at a little over 100mph, have limited fuel capabilities and therefore the distance they can travel is much shorter then a jet. A good rule of thumb is that most planes have approximately a three hour fly out time. This means that from the point of take-off they can fly to a destination 3 hours away. Some planes are a little more, some are a little less. The mileage covered is normally around 200 to 500 miles depending once again upon the plane.

If you are asking for a flight half way across the country, it is likely that no pilot will answer your request. However, if you see by looking at the pilot board that there are pilots listed in various states along the route you are asking for, by all means ask them if they would consider trying to coordinate a multi-leg flight. These are difficult due to varying weather conditions but not impossible. If you do ask, please have temporary fosters available should an unexpected problem arrive with weather conditons or a mechanical issue with the plane. That way, the animal is always assured that someone along the route will be there to care for the animal.

It is our hope that eventually as more pilots join our cause, we will have a pilot in every state who is willing to help. That will ease the burden of these long distance trips giving us more options for doing a rescue flight in stages. Please keep in mind that pilots are totally controlled by the weather of the day and back-up arrangements should always be made "just in case." This holds true for all plane rescue transports.

Please feel free to jump in on this conversation. Maybe the pilots will have some additional ideas and suggestions for these longer transport requests. We are all still learning from each other.

Thanks,
Debi

[Michele]

Hello Rescue people.

For long transports, feel free to organize and propose potential routes and reach out to us. Most pilots can do 100-200 miles easily. Driver backups are important though, because we are very weather dependent

[alfybill]

It is important for rescues to list the departure and destination in the 'title'. There are so many posts from all over the USA now that "dog needs help" probably won't get read.

[greydog34a]

Debi,

Thanks so much for posting this. Us bug smashers are more then willing to help out when / where we can but I can tell you from personal experience that all to often I (and I am sure many other pilots) get requests for legs of 600 - 1000 miles some times. Most of us also have our primary jobs, families, and other commitments. You hit the nail on the head that about 3 hours of flying out and 3 hours in is about the limit for small planes. If it becomes more then that it really becomes a challenge and trying to arrange a multi-leg / multi-pilot trip makes a lot more sense.

All the best,
Chuck
N2228T

[Jon]

If we put Chuck's excellent information in a context easily understood by everyone, here is how to determine if a request is reasonable.

The typical planes flown for PNP rescue transports have a ground speed that is somewhere between 80 knots (92 miles per hour) and 150 knots (172 miles per hour). These are averages and reflect that there are winds aloft that work to slow a plane down, or speed it up. If we use Chuck's 3 hours out that means if the transport falls within 240 nautical miles (276 statute miles) to 450 nautical miles (517 statute miles) it is a trip well within the range most pilots here will fly.

Further, disregard road miles. If you Google the distance between two cities you will get miles on a highway, and almost all of us fly in a straight line between two points. For example, I often fly from Knoxville to Jamestown, NY. That is 653 miles using highways, but is only 510 miles by air. If you want to know the distance we fly use a ruler and a map to measure the straight line distance.

If the transport falls outside the range listed above that does not mean it cannot be done. It does mean that it is either less likely, or that it will require more than one leg. If more than one leg is required I strongly urge that a foster or rescue be found at the end of each leg to be available to hold the animals until the next leg can begin. It may not be necessary to actually have to hold the animals if the pilots can do the transport all in one day, but it makes the probability the transport can be done much higher. Pilots will not and should not be pressured by circumstances (such as no place to house the animals) if there is a question a bout safety.

[scmr1]

As a rescue volunteer I would like to throw my two cents in!

Since this is a new concept for both sides of the fence, I thought I would discuss this from the rescue volunteers’ side, (that is my opinion).

I think there should be a notice sent out now and to all new members that join, discussing the right way to post a request. The format needs to be what the pilots will respond to. For ground transport, there are so many different rescues that there is no set format, we end up putting as much info in the subject line as we possibly can. This helps the reader to know if they can possibly help without opening the email.


There should be instructions on how to best post a request:
·how the subject line should be presented
·how to post a request that has more than one leg
·what information about the passengers should be included in the request: sex, have they had their shots, rabies, Dewormed? Altered? Flea prevention, any medical issues
·What information should be included about the request, time, dates, etc…….is it better to no be specific, but more flexible?
·If the request were an emergency, what would be the best way to make a request?
·Should we be told to plan on sending food, water, crates, etc.
·Is the number of passengers going to make or break the request?

Should we post our request and then automatically send out PM to the pilots in that area?

I read with interest the way to determine miles flying as compared to ground transport. I didn't realize there could be such a difference! I didn’t know about plane types and how far they can fly, according to the knots or bad weather. I didn’t know that some types of airports are preferred over others. But, I am learning and trying to get on board in doing this the best way that will help the dogs!

Having said all this, I would like to say thank you, to all, for the very generous help that you all are providing! One dog at a time………..

God Bless!
Debi Mishoe
Southern Comfort Maltese Rescue

[admin]

[quote="scmr1"]As a rescue volunteer I would like to throw my two cents in!

Hey Deb,

Thank you for your two cents, we do need everyone's ideas and input! I think your idea is a good one and valid however due to various email servers, an automatic letter will not work. A few servers, such as comcast, will not even allow the automatic registration reply to go through and I have to activate those members manually. This is why all of the information and instructions that are needed are posted under each forum board. All new members need to do is read

As it is right now, new members often email our general email address asking for transport. I reply to several people every day with instructions. Still, some of these same people often post incorrectly. Let's face it, there is a ton of information here, most people have limited time, but as I said, it is all on this forum board if you, the general you, will just take the time to read.

It is so true, I have learned more about general aviation and pilot lingo then I ever expected too....interesting and educational. I am sure pilots have learned more about those of us in rescue and ground transportation then they ever thought they would as well.

If anyone would like to volunteer to contact new members with a standard "how too" guide we can certainly consider it. So far, to my knowledge, the one I send out daily behind the scenes does not always appear to make a difference. I am willing to give it a try though if someone wants to volunteer to send it! Any takers??

Debi

[scmr1]

How many new members are there, say on a daily basis? I may be willing to give it a try...............

Is there a limit as to how many PM can be copied on an post?

Debi Mishoe
scmradoption.com

[Jon]

I know this is in the guidelines and I cannot tell you how many posts have been made asking people to limit the subject line to the start point and zip code to the end point and zip code.

If everybody does that almost every problem goes away. It couldn't be simpler. Yet on a daily basis we see subject lines that don't have either location listed. Those likely are read by very few pilots.

I have comented about subject lines that say "Urgent" or must transport on a specific date. When a subject like that shows up it tells pilots there is no flexibility and any pilots that have a schedule, or need to have good weather will also ignore those posts.

We all have schedules in our lives and limited time. Make the transports flexible as to the timing of them, and post the critical data relating to the start and end points in the subject and more eyes will look at the post.

[admin]

How many new members are there, say on a daily basis? I may be willing to give it a try...............
Is there a limit as to how many PM can be copied on an post?
Debi Mishoe
scmradoption.com

Deb, there is a limit to PM's for each person so yes, there is a limit for the number sent. The PM's are not my first choice to communicate with any of our members, I prefer their direct email. The reason is this: you have to log in to read your PM and if you need to contact another member in a hurry, they may not log in for a week. Yes, there is a feature under your profile that you can checkmark that says "please notify if I have a PM waiting" so that is an option.

Email me privately and we can talk more about this if you would like?

thanks so much!

Debi (the other one