Cloud Nine Rescue Flights

Yes, you read correctly! In our largest and longest flight ever, we transported a 55 dogs over the course of a weekend, going from sea to shining sea and back.

This all started when I received a call from Nancy Miller from Roanoke Chowan Humane Society in North Carolina. They had an unusual request for us – 7 large dogs that needed to get to Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, UT. For those of you who don’t know about Best Friends, they are the largest animal sanctuary in the country, having hundreds of dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, and all sorts of other animals. Located on several thousand acres in the remote town of Kanab, UT, Best Friends has set the standard for animal rescue sanctuaries across the country. They never give up on an animal, and take many of the animals that are hard to find homes for, yet have a 75% adoption rate. In this case, the animals we transported to Best Friends were all elderly animals who would have been difficult if not impossible to place locally.

We were excited about the prospect of this transport to start out. However, as these things have a habit of doing, it grew and expanded. I received a call from Kim Sill of Last Chance for Animals in southern California. They were trying to organize a transport of small dogs from the San Bernadino area to New York City, and wanted to know if we could help. I told her that it just so happened we were going to be in Utah within two weeks for a transport to Best Friends, and it would be perfect timing to head on to California, load up, and head home! This gave us a relatively small amount of time to get everything together for this transport.

Working with the Cesar and Illusion Milan Foundation, North Shore Animal League, Last Chance for Animals, Animal Advocates Alliance, and the Heigl Foundation, we managed to pull together all the details of this transport (of which there were many!) in a very short period of time. Additionally, at the last minute we received a call from Best Friends about an 8th large dog that needed to be transported from North Carolina to their facility. We happened to have room for this 8th dog, which worked out perfectly as it filled the plane!

This was to be a transport occuring over a total of four days, including two long travel days in which we would transit virtually the entire country from coast to coast. Due to the length of the transport, it presented risks associated with timing as it would not take very much in the way of very bad weather over one part of the country to completely cancel the transport. We went forward knowing that.

I first flew down to Edenton, NC where I spent the night and was to pick up the lucky 7 from Roanoke Chowan Humane Society. The flight down was primarily uneventful. I spent the evening in my hotel room doing flight planning for the next day. It was going to be a very early morning to wake up, and the weather was not going to make this easy. The weather over New Mexico and Utah was my primary concern, and it was forecasted to be perfect. However the weather from South Carolina on to western Texas was going to present challenges. A straight line would go right through a line of severe snow, which we were not going to fly through. A line to the north was also going to get snow quite a ways. A line to the south showed low clouds over Texas and potential for thunderstorms over Mississippi and Louisiana, but overall that looked like it would be significantly more navigable. I chose for that route, and went to bed with my flight plans figured out.

The next morning came early, and we arrived at the Edenton airport well before the sun was up to load up the lucky seven and hit the skies for a long day of flying. Nancy and a number of other volunteers from Roanoke Chowan Humane Society had woken up very early to come, help load, and see us off. Thaddeus Watkins (www.thaddeuswatkins.com) came to take a number of pictures, several of which ended up in a local newspaper article. Several of the pictures in this blog entry were from him. Thanks, Thaddeus!

We loaded up quickly and were off to Rock Hill, SC where I picked up Jackie Kyles, who’s one of Cloud Nine’s volunteers and also Treasurer on the Board of Directors. She had never been on a transport before, and she wanted to come on this one especially. Additionally, Rock Hill was where we picked up the 8th dog to come to Best Friends, which all worked out well. We fueled up, loaded up, and were then off on our way to our first fuel stop in Louisiana.

Thunderstorms were brewing, but thunderstorms are generally something that can be managed with the proper tools. Specifically, you find where the thunderstorms are, and fly somewhere else. After a bit of dodging the big thunderstorm cells, our destination was near and easy to land at. However we saw the last of the storms was heading straight for the airport. We’d be able to land, but then be stuck there for several hours while the storms passed. So, we continued on another 50 miles and were then well past all the storms.

We landed, fueled, and were then on our way for our next stop of Plainview, Texas. There were low clouds over Texas, with high cloud tops. We were going to be stuck in the clouds for quite a while on this leg of the trip. Sure enough, we took off and the next 2 to 2.5 hours we were in the clouds. A bit over an hour out of Plainview, the cloud tops lowered and we broke out above the cloud layer, for a beautiful flight skiing the cloud tops. We went to shoot another approach into Plainview, where they had received freezing rain the previous day. It made for quite a sight, as most of the trees and buildings were iced over. So was the gas pump!

Back in the plane for the third leg of the day, the weather was clearing up substantially. We could see blue sky headed west, and it was supposed to be clear for the reaminder of the flight. Predictions were correct. It was this part of the trip that I was most concerned with having good weather for. When you get into the more mountainous regions of the United States, the flying can get significantly more interesting both from a weather perspective and also from an obstacle and altitude perspective. Fortunately, it was not only a perfectly clear night, but we had the biggest, brightest moon of the year to light up the night for us, making for an easy arrival in Kanab.

We arrived, unloaded the animals, and then promptly grabbed some dinner and went to bed. It was a long day, and Jackie and I were ready for some sleep. The next morning, we got to tour the Best Friends facility. If you ever have the opportunity to, I would suggest going to see it for yourself. They truly have a wonderful facility.

After lunch and meeting with Pat and Jana from Best Friends, Jackie and I hopped back in the Aztec to head to California, enjoying a short flight on a nice, clear day with some beautiful scenery. After getting dinner, we called it a night and decided to get a good night’s rest before the longest and largest transport yet!

We woke up the next morning and got to the San Bernadino airport a bit early to start prepping the plane and staging everything for loading up. Kim and the rest of the crew showed up shortly thereafter, and we began the task of loading all the animals in. California has a huge overpopulation issue with small dogs. In New York City, meanwhile, those dogs are in high demand. This strikes at the core of Cloud Nine’s mission – solving the problem of logistics.

After a bit over an hour of loading, we ended up with 47 dogs in the plane. We fired up the engines, and were then on our way heading east, back to New York. And we were going to do it in a single day!

The weather could not have been better. We didn’t hit a single cloud the entire trip, and we got a slight tailwind that helped make the trip a bit quicker. Fuel stops were in Tucumcari, NM and St. Louis, MO. St. Louis ATC treated us wonderfully, giving us direct to New York almost immediately after takeoff, and actually moved other traffic out of our way so we could climb up to cruising altitude sooner. That was very appreciated for the long route to New York!

We landed late in Long Island, and North Shore Animal League was there to meet us with one of their trucks. At first they couldn’t believe that we managed to fit 47 dogs in the airplane, but that is where Cloud Nine shines – we use every available inch of the plane for cages, which makes for more animals transported! After unloading and talking with them briefly, we were all ready for bed. Jackie and I headed into Manhattan (I’m from New York City originally) and spent the night there. The next morning, I dropped her off at LaGuardia airport for a flight home, and I went to Republic Airport on Long Island for an easy flight back to Pennsylvania. Only a bit over an hour flight? That’s easy!

This transport was a monumental feat, and everyone involved deserves a tremendous amount of thanks. None of us individually could have performed the transport, but working together we pulled it off and made it happen. Thanks to Roanoke Chowan Humane Society, Best Friends Animal Society, Last Chance for Animals, Cesar and Illusion Milan Foundation, the Heigl Foundation, Animal Adoption Advocates, and North Shore Animal League for all working together to make this possible. Thanks also to Jackie Kyles, for coming with me on this transport! I was very glad to have the help and company!

I want to make special note for two groups that helped make this possible. Thanks to two very generous donations, one from the Heigl Foundation and one from Roanoke Chowan Humane Society, this transport was completely funded. This is an especially incredible feat when you consider the length of the transport. Without their help, this transport would not have been possible. We got some words of thanks from Roanoke Chowan Humane Society that I wanted to share:

“After being contacted by Best Friends that they would accept 7 of our dogs, I thought the hard part was over. I thought by posting the needed transport (nearly 2500 miles), there would be many willing, able pilots and ground crews who would jump at the chance to save the Lucky 7. Little did I know how difficult it was for pilots with small planes to make the long trip. After a few weeks of using ever resource I could think of and becoming quite frustrated and discouraged that the transport would not take place, Ted with Cloud Nine Rescue Flights contacted me.
I thought his rescue transport was like some of the others, only able to take 1 or 2 of the dogs, our organization having to co-ordinate ground crews at several locations across the country and still not getting the dogs to there destination. Or maybe there was a mis-communication that these were 7 large breed, adult dogs and not 7 small breed dogs.
Ted told me that he could transport all 7 of the dogs even though they were adult, large breeds and there was such a long distance to travel, all at one time!
Angels travel long distances, through ice storms, heavy winds and many situations on a wing and a prayer, all to accomplish their greater good.. Thanks Ted and Jackie for taking our Lucky 7 on your wings.”

-Nancy Miller, Outgoing President Roanoke Chowan Humane Society

Looking forward, we fully intend on performing more of these transports in the future, and I am currently working with the parties involved to help make that a reality.

It is also becoming clear that, while our venerable Aztec is a perfect airplane for most of our missions, for some of these longer and larger transports over large distances, we will need to upgrade. As such, I now announce Cloud Nine’s official plan to seek funding for an upgraded aircraft that will allow us to transport more animals faster and better handle these sorts of trips. We are searching for a Cessna 421, and are looking for sponsors both large and small to help us raise the necessary funds. Estimated purchase price will be approximately $100,000.  To help or make a donation, click the “Donate” buttons found on our website, http://www.cloudninerescueflights.org/

Blue Skies,

-Ted

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