Dogs and airports

[Flying Ted]

Seeking some advice. What are rules about taking dogs flying? I understand that it is allowed and the dog must secured. What are the rules at airports?

I recently had had an experience where are airport manager told me that prior approval is needed before having a dog airside. Is this true? Where would I find such a rule if it exists?

[Horatio Leafblower]

That might be a local rule but I have never come across it in the Civil Aviation rule set.
Nothing I can see in the Part 139 MOS.

[Capt Fathom]

Prior approval is probably required to weed out the terriers! :E

[Bankstown Boy]

Had a border collie that would fly with us just about everywhere. Never really had an issue, from outback strips to capital city airports.

The only time we had a bit of an ‘incident’ was at Gold Coast airport whilst waiting to pick up my wife. We were talking a walk airside when two security guards drove up wanting to know why I had a dog airside. Explained what we were doing and one of the guards advised not to let him loose as they would have to shoot him! (Never saw the regs on that either!)

[Squawk7700]

Don’t most licensed airports still have up the signs about bringing dogs and birds etc airside? That surely was a rule at one time or another....

Nothing annoys me more than people who bring their dogs to airshows though... that makes no sense to me. It’s like when a woman bought her dog to the child care one day! (No it wasn’t a guide dog either)

[Fieldmouse]

Like most restrictions airports now place on access, these local rules often come out of a 'what if' question asked by an insurer.'What if' there is an incident involving a companion animal? What steps have you taken to document and control the presence of animals airside?
With proprietal interest, which airport owners have, comes proprietal obligations to control, or at least have a means to monitor, what goes on on your facility.
Insurers need to be rounded up, placed in a pit, and ignited. They are destroying this country.

[BigPapi]

Just make sure your dog has an ASIC before you take it airside, if not you better get cracking on the approval process, make sure you have it's original birth certificate, passport etc and of course $250

[Dexta]

With proprietal interest, which airport owners have, comes proprietal obligations to control, or at least have a means to monitor, what goes on on your facility.
Insurers need to be rounded up, placed in a pit, and ignited. They are destroying this country.

For us, as long as the dog is on a leash, or controlled in some way then that is OK. The issue comes when something goes wrong ,i.e. dog runs off after seeing something to chase and runs right into a moving propellor. It's not the insurers fault, it really all leads back to the courts and the government. Dog runs into propellor, owner of said dog sues, lawyers chase whoever has the most money BUT it is the Judge that ultimately decides that it is (for example) the pilots fault for not anticipating the dog and shutting down the engine (Airport owner has no money, aircraft is amateur built so no big factory to sue etc.). The Judging is based on the law so it is the government that needs to change laws such that these frivolous lawsuits do not happen and THEN airport owners can make things a lot more friendly knowing that if someone else makes a mistake that they or their tenants are not going to be sued.

[Stationair8]

Our dog couldn’t read, and didn’t see the need for an ASIC card.

[Ascend Charlie]

I have always understood that a loose airside dog will be shot - risk of getting onto a runway, causing a swerve / go around / collision etc. Possibly told by the Tarmac Terriers at some stage, but don't recall seeing anything on a sign.

It was a minor problem for me because the boss's wife would bring her bucking fig Rottweiler with her. She would hold it on the lead, but it easily got away from her a few times. Got a nice scar on my hand from when I first met it. ("Hello doggie!" Chomp! "Don't try to touch the dog." (could have said that before I tried, mumble mumble...)) It had its own boarding ramp and piddle-proof mat that had to travel with it. But it still found ways of piddling on the carpet, and the engineers were always HAPPY to pull the carpet out and wash it...

[harrryw]

I understand the rule that dogs that are loose can be shot apply at ship docks because of quarantine rules and the same could apply with airports apart from the safety issue.

[kaz3g]

Read CAR 256A...penalty 25 penalty units for taking your dog with you unless exempted or authorised (conditions apply).

i have a permit to take my dog with me in my aeroplane which I paid $150 for. My permit has no expiry date but I have heard they are now time-limited like everything else. I have a harness for her which attaches to rear seat belt. I fit a lead to her to restrict her further and she sits on a pad over canvas on the back seat. She treats it like the car and never soils it.

Note many councils have general prohibitions on dogs at large and can get a bit testy about them on an airport.

[Squawk7700]

I understand the rule that dogs that are loose can be shot apply at ship docks because of quarantine rules and the same could apply with airports apart from the safety issue.

I've heard that the Melbourne airport security guys that drive regularly around the perimeter, sometimes shoot animals that pose a risk, or need putting out of their misery, or are stuck in the fence etc. You wouldn't want your family dog straying in there either.

[compressor stall]

When did 256A change? Have you always needed a permit to fly an animal - even if securely caged etc?

[kaz3g]

I don’t know when it was inserted but at least 10 years ago as that is when I got my permit. The conditions are as stated in my previous post so no container required.

My dog is a Kelpie and I know many working dogs get carried in their owners light aircraft without permits but this is the rule.

[Ex FSO GRIFFO]

"Two on Board...Me and me dog".....was the remark given by a very well known grazier as he would taxy out at Kal. in the 'ole days' , on his way to either Mundabullagana, (WA) or back to S.A. to his home there.
The dog was, of course, a 'working dog' and was very well trained and behaved. We used to make sure he got water on arrival at Kal……

There were never any questions from anybody re the carrying of the dog.

Cheers

[compressor stall]

It's just my recollection was that animals had to be caged, not that a permit was needed. I haven't looked at that reg for years and haven't needed to, my flashbacks to turtles, goannas and baby crocs in the back of the aircraft are from a long while ago....

Furthermore what if the animal is a half dead? i.e. Arnhem Land turtle with flippers tied with fencing wire as carry on baggage?

[Horatio Leafblower]

I dunno... I have seen Bird Dogs, Wog Dogs, Pups, Huskies, Airdailes and Beagles on airports with nobody seeming to care. Maybe it depends on breed?

[smiling monkey]

Seeking some advice. What are rules about taking dogs flying? I understand that it is allowed and the dog must secured. What are the rules at airports?

I recently had had an experience where are airport manager told me that prior approval is needed before having a dog airside. Is this true? Where would I find such a rule if it exists?

Yep, don't forget to secure your dog in case this happens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NvBGb5lf78

[havick]

Just make sure your dog has an ASIC before you take it airside, if not you better get cracking on the approval process, make sure you have it's original birth certificate, passport etc and of course $250

I sent in a picture of my dog for my asic photo one renewal. It came back with that pic on it. I guess someone did an audit and I got a nasty gram asking for the asic back

[Ascend Charlie]

Doing flood relief in the Pork Chopper in the Colo Valley north of RAAF Richmond in the early 80s, had to winch a dog handler and his pooch off a cliff face. They had been tracking some lost people, but got stuck themselves in the slippery and steep conditions in the rain and low cloud and luckily we were in the area. The pooch was a little reluctant to be hoisted, mainly because the dog harness for hoisting was about to be invented after this exercise, and he was just wrapped in the handler's leather jacket and grasped to his chest. All good, hound on board.

Heading for Richmond with minimal fuel on board, I made contact with the tower.
"Request Pee Oh Bee" she says.
"We have 4 pee oh bee and one dee oh gee."
"................say again?"
I repeated, and she got the idea.

[kaz3g]

I had some engine trouble between Tennant and Alice about 10 years ago. School holidays, lots of traffic on the Stuart Highway including caravans and road trains and I wasn’t keen on landing on the bitumen.

Called Melb Centre

Me: MC, Auster BYM with some engine problems location, etc, etc

After a long pause, female controller came back

MC: BYM how many PoB

Me. One person one dog

MC: BYM say again

Me: One person and one dog

With voice up an octave

MC: Is the dog alright?

And she kindly handed me off to Alice TWR who cleared me 1000 higher than usual just in case.

[The Wawa Zone]

Fieldmouse, yes I'm sure that the Airport Operations Manual (750Mb .PDF) has a 10-page section on Dogs. Why ? Well, why not !

[Sunfish]

Can’t seem to find the photo of Reg Ansett getting out of his helicopter - with. unrestrained labrador sitting on the back seat.

[Fieldmouse]

Fieldmouse, yes I'm sure that the Airport Operations Manual (750Mb .PDF) has a 10-page section on Dogs. Why ? Well, why not !
You have found a serious shortcoming in our local airport documentation. I will propose a blanket ban on dogs until they can convene a dog control implementation team to commence a detailed review of the process. I hope CASA and the insurer don't twig. This thread needs to be deleted.

[Sunfish]

Fieldmouse. There also needs to be a dog breed approval committee - for example Irish Setters should never be allowed near an aircraft, ever. Labradors should only be allowed to fly single engine aircraft - Border Collies can be safely allowed to fly twins, IFR.

[Traffic_Is_Er_Was]

Certified Aerodromes are required by MOS139 to have an animal hazard plan in place as part of their AD manual. That usually includes how the AD operator controls/deals with dogs airside.