Snakes on a Plane

[FD2]

Snakes on a (grounded) plane: Rattlesnakes infest Qantas' A380s in California desert

Qantas engineers maintaining the airline's grounded Airbus A380 fleet in a US desert are facing a novel problem: rattlesnakes are making homes in the landing gear.

The airline moved its superjumbo fleet to Victorville, in the Mojave Desert, for deep storage last year, due to the downturn in air travel and the suspension of its international routes. Air New Zealand is also storing planes at the same facility.

The location's dry heat and low humidity makes it ideal for storing aircraft, but it's also an ideal environment for highly venomous rattlesnakes and scorpions. The nasty critters are setting up home around the grounded planes' tyres and landing gear.

As a result, Qantas engineers have had to start using a "wheel whacker" to try and scare off the animals before carrying out inspections.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/news/125 ... nia-desert

[PHXPhlyer]

What's next?
An article about blisters caused by use of 'Wheel Whackers"?

PP

[G-CPTN]

Couldn't they use a sound generator?
A loud hissing sound?

However,
Snake repellent.

[FD2]

There's not much excitement to report on down here pp...ssssss!

[llondel]

Interesting reports to engineering, "seems to be a rattle in the undercarriage".

[FD2]

Snakes under the house...