info@flyingfur.org

Frequently Asked Questions

Paul Steklenski, the founder, spends $1,000 a month out of his own pocket – this normally covers 2 airborne rescues per month.

No.  Unlike other airborne rescue organizations, there are no salaries paid.  In fact, the founder spends $1,000 a month out of his own pocket to cover the cost of airborne rescue missions.

 

FAA regulations prohibit non-commercial operations from accepting compensation.  We are not a “for-hire” organization as that would not comply with FAA regulations.

 

Any pilot accepting direct compensation (monetary) or indirect compensation (hours of flight time experience) would be in direct violation of FAA regulations.

The graphic below is a basic indicator of our transport area. We work with other volunteers to transport outside of this range. Today, transport is only limited by costs associated with it. 

Flying Fur Animal Rescue -Service area

Sending and/or receiving rescues must be 501c3 non-profit organizations, or represented by such organizations. Animals must have applicable health certificates for interstate transport per USDA guidelines.  Our USDA number is 502564.

We are a 501c3 non-profit, that provides our services at no cost to other 501c3 rescue organizations, there is no charge for our services. Donations are always welcome.

We are an all volunteer organization with no paid employees; the founder has a full time occupation, specializing in Cisco Network, Security, Voice and Collaboration technologies. Annually he donates over $12,000 to the organization in money alone.

No. We are non-profit, non-commercial operation; we are not a “for-hire” organization as that would not comply with FAA regulations. Our core focus has always been, and will always be, saving animals from euthanization at no cost to other 501c3 non-profit organizations.

Currently, a mixture of air and ground about 2 to 3 times per month, depending on shelter needs, weather, and logistical circumstances.

In our experiences, yes. We fly at altitudes below 10,000 feet so oxygen levels are not a concern.

 

The vibration tends to put them to sleep. Like humans, turbulence can cause upset stomachs and nausea, however this is a rare occurrence. In the majority of flights the animals simply curl up for a good nap.

Each mission is unique. To date, we have flown up to 23 animals in our Bonanza – not an easy feat.

 

Aircraft have weight capacity and distribution requirements that must be strictly adhered to for the safe operation of the aircraft. We factor in additional safety margins beyond what is required by the aircraft manufacturer and FAA, including overall weight maximums and fuel minimums. An average rescue flight my have between 8 and 12 animals.

 

In our ground vehicle we have safely transported over 42 dogs and cats in one mission.

We crate animals based on multiple factors; puppies are always crated.

 

Animal temperaments are a critical component and validated for loading; if issues arise an animal may have to be crated individually or removed from a flight. High density flights usually result in 99% of animals being crated.