This Jack Russell terrier is on ‘cloud canine’ after becoming Britain’s first flying dog – by taking up PARAGLIDING.
Jimmy Rimski, 35, first took his pet terrier The General paragliding in a harness when he was a one-year-old puppy.
Since then the Jack Russell terrier, who is now aged four, has developed a taste for flying and chalked up over 40 flights in his own logbook.
He regularly soars with Jimmy to heights of over 2,000ft where he barks at bemused seagulls and howls along when his owner plays his harmonica.
Army helicopter pilot Jimmy, from King’s Lynn, Norfolk, says The General ”loves flying” and is ”excited” before every take-off.
He said: ”I took him up as a puppy and he loved it from the first moment. Now he gets really excited every time I fly, wagging his tail and jumping up.
”Some people give me funny looks but I think most people like the idea. He’s a bossy, funny little terrier. He loves flying and if he didn’t he would soon let me know.
”I just use a harness that you can buy in a pet shop and strap him on to me. He sits on my lap and barks at the seagulls.
”He takes the world in and whenever I take my harmonica up with me he howls along to the tune.”
Keen paragliding enthusiast Jimmy first took The General flying in 2007 and the pair now take to the skies together whenever the weather is suitable.
They launch from various sea cliffs on the Norfolk coast before catching thermals up to heights of over 2,000ft (609.6m).
While airborne Jimmy takes aerial photographs of East Anglia while The General is tightly secured on his lap in a specially-designed dog harness.
The Jack Russell terrier barks at passing seabirds from his lofty perch while sniffing the air and taking in the beautiful views.
Jimmy, who is a part-time tutor with the Norfolk Paramotoring Club in his free time, has also taken The General paramotoring.
The sport is similar to paragliding but the pilot wears a small motor driving a propeller on his back, which provides thrust to take off, climb and maintain level flight.
Jimmy and his father Bernie are well-known locally for their spectacular aerial shots of Norfolk which they take from helicopters or while paragliding.
Jimmy added that The General is the first of his many pets to try paragliding and boasted he has completed more flights than many paragliding enthusiasts.
He said: ”When I first took him up as a puppy he wasn’t at all nervous.
”I have always had dogs but The General is the first to come flying with me and it’s great he is able to share my hobby.
”He has done more hours in the air than many paragliders and he even has his own log book where I record all his flights.”
