Pilots
It’s easy to volunteer – just CLICK HERE. There are a few questions to answer when you register – your airport ID, and you would you temp foster an animal, etc. An automatic authorization will be sent to your email address; just reply to it to complete your registration. Once you are a registered user, please return to the forum and click on “Info for Pilots.” Make sure you are logged in (upper right hand corner) and scroll down to the Pilots Volunteering Services section. Open that, click on NEW TOPIC (since you are posting a new message) and include your location, airport ID in the subject line, and any contact information you would like in the message that will be . Click submit and you are listed.
Pilots N Paws provides the electronic meeting place but otherwise the arrangements between the volunteer pilots and the rescue agency are up to you. . No one schedules your transports without your consent or pressures you in any way. The pilots have total control over who they reply to and the choice of days, times, number of animals, kinds of animals, distance, weather, etc. We only ask that the pilots check the Animals Needing Transport part of the forum board whenever time allows. If you see a request you can assist with then contact the rescue volunteer directly and the two of you work together to get the animals where and when they need to go.
On our homepage, there is also a search tool for pilots to use to narrow down the requested transport flights that may be in your flight path. Open the link and enter the info requested (airport ID and distance) and the requests will come up. This saves you time scrolling through pages of requests on the transport section of the forum board. Some of the requests may be out of date. We do our best to move of out date requests, but unfortunately not everyone that makes a request remembers to come back and mark complete, cancel, no longer needed, adopted, etc., so you may see some requests on that search list that are in fact no longer needed. It is important for pilots to keep in mind that some rescue volunteers have only used ground transport, and may not be aware of the considerations needed for air transport You may have to educate them about the restrictions you face such as weather that could possibly postpone a transport. Most are very good about accommodating the pilots with regards to meeting you at your airport of choice.
There are no fees charged to rescues for these flights. Under Federal Aviation Regulations Part 91, monetary compensation to pilots is not permitted. However, Pilots N Paws ( WWW PILOTSNPAWS ORG, INC ) is a 501c3 charitable organization and we have received a formal letter from the FAA Chief Counsel’s office which states that these flights are considered by them to be “humanitarian.” Any pilot who flies a rescue flight is therefore eligible to claim portions of their flight expenses as a tax deduction. The FAA letter can be found on our forum board should you need clarification. Please consult your tax advisor for how the FAA’s ruling can apply to you.
We also have crates available to ship to you should you need them. Please email [email protected] and a volunteer will help you to select the sizes that best fit your plane. Larger dogs are often transported with a doggie safety harness and tethered to the backseat of the aircraft.
Please do take a few minutes to read the suggested guidelines and familiarize yourself with how things work. If you have questions, please ask. Other pilots and members are very generous about helping, advising, and cheering you on.
If you have any questions, please feel free to send us an email anytime. Thank you so much for caring and coming to the Pilots N Paws web board to make a difference!
DISCLAIMER: The views and comments entered in these forums are personal and are not those of Pilots N Paws. Rescue flights are the responsibility of the sending and receiving parties and pilots. Pilots N Paws is only an electronic meeting place for those seeking to make arrangements for rescue flights. Pilots N Paws does not arrange for rescue flights, coordinate transports and/or rescue animals. Pilots volunteer their time and aircraft to the sending and receiving parties, not to Pilots N Paws. Pilots N Paws is not responsible or liable for the conduct of any pilots or flights. Compliance with applicable law and the conduct of flights are the responsibility and liability of the sending and receiving parties and pilots.
