Now that’s the way to go walkies! Golden retrievers Gus and Dora love flying in their owner’s small plane

• Two Golden Retrievers love flying in small plane cockpits with their owner
• Justin Coleman’s two dogs Gus and Dora have flown with up since 12 weeks old
• Adorable images show two-year-old Gus sat proudly next to 42-year-old Justin

These two Golden Retrievers love flying in small plane cockpits with their owner.

Ever since Justin Coleman’s two dogs Gus and Dora were 12 weeks old they have joined their owner in his RV-9A aircraft on scenic flights around Denver, Colorado.

Adorable images show two-year-old Gus sat proudly next to 42-year-old Justin, watching intently out of the cockpit as they take off and looking down at the ground below.

Unable to hide his enjoyment, Gus even tries to paw at passing planes thinking they are birds while sticking his tongue out.

The engineer says he has even adjusted the plane for the dogs – removing the stick on the passenger side so that they cannot knock it when moving around in their seat.

Dora the six-month-old Golden Retriever enjoying her time in the sky 

Ever since Justin Coleman’s two dogs Gus and Dora were 12 weeks old they have joined their owner in his RV-9A aircraft on scenic flights around Denver, Colorado

Mr Coleman doesn’t have any specific equipment for his two dogs but has moved the passenger stick control to make extra room for Gus (pictured) who weighs more than five stone

Ever since Justin Coleman’s two dogs Gus and Dora were 12 weeks old they have joined their owner in his RV-9A aircraft on scenic flights around Denver, Colorado

Mr Coleman said: ‘Gus really enjoys flying and is at ease. I imagine he thinks it’s similar to riding in the car.

‘While taxiing the airplane, the canopy of the airplane can be open so he sticks his head out looking and smelling for squirrels and birds.

‘Even when it’s closed and we’re thousands of feet up in the air, he’s doing the same thing.

‘Gus has shown an affinity for steep turns and momentary negative Gs so we do that occasionally.

‘He has been up with me on a few formation flights and is intently focused on the airplane I’m flying next to, pawing at the window as he thinks it’s a bird.

‘If I ask Gus ‘want to go to the airport’ he runs out of the house and waits by the garage door for me.

‘Dora is still too new to the experience for me to gauge her interest other than she seems happy to tag along.

Winging it: Gus the Golden  Retriever loves to fly with his owner Justin Coleman

‘There really are no restrictions on what I can do with them but I keep the flight profile pretty comfortable as I want them to enjoy it.

‘Take off and landing are critical phases of flight where my mind needs to be 100% focused so I was hyper aware of their behaviour and any movements they made so it didn’t impact what I was doing and I was prepared to abort if I sensed something wasn’t right.

‘It turned out that I had nothing to worry about and they acted more relaxed than most human passengers.’

Mr Coleman doesn’t have any specific equipment for his two dogs but has moved the passenger stick control to make extra room for Gus who weighs more than five stone.

Mr Coleman said: ‘I don’t have any special equipment or arrangements for the dogs as they just sit in the seat next to me.

‘Because Gus just got so big, I took the stick control out of the passenger side of the aircraft to give him more room to sit in the seat.

‘Removing it also eliminates the risk of them accidently bumping into it if the flight is bumpy or as they’re adjusting themselves in the seat during the flight.

‘I think everyone is a little intrigued, some get excited, point, wave and smile when they see the dogs in the airplane.

‘I’m just a general aviation pilot and have a real passion for flying. Having a dog as a co-pilot makes it more enjoyable.

‘By the time both of them were flying with me, they had lots of exposure to riding along with my wife or I in a car so we knew they weren’t prone to motion sickness.

‘On their first flights, they both acted in a similar manner, very inquisitive, with lots of things to see and smell.

‘They weren’t quite able to see over the side of the cockpit unless they leaned up on their legs so after about 15 minutes they’d curl up on the seat and go to sleep.

‘When I first started flying with Gus I was a little concerned about how it would turn out so I started with introducing them to it a little at a time.

‘My wife, Kristen and I don’t have kids, just the two dogs and expensive hobbies so we try to include them in just about everything we can.’

Source: Read Full Article