Snake on board

I do not usually like to copy and paste, but this I could not resist.
Makes me wonder how I would react. I am not a fan of snakes.


Pilot Fights Black Snake Stowaway on Plane
Friday, June 02, 2006

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Monty Coles was 3,000 feet in the air when he
discovered a stowaway peeking out at him from the plane's instrument panel
— a 4 1/2-foot black snake.

Coles had left Charleston earlier for a leisurely flight over the West
Virginia countryside last Saturday in his Piper Cherokee and was preparing
to land in Gallipolis, Ohio, when the snake revealed itself.

"Nothing in any of the manuals ever described anything like this," the
62-year-old Cross Lanes resident said. But the advice given 25 years
earlier from his flight instructor immediately came to mind: "No matter
what happens, fly the plane."

An attempt to swat the snake only resulted in it falling to Coles' feet
under the rudder pedals. It then darted to the other side of the cockpit.

While maintaining control of the single-engine plane with one hand, Coles
grabbed the reptile behind its head with his other.

"There was no way I was letting that thing go. It coiled all around my arm,
and its tail grabbed hold of a lever on the floor and started pulling,"
Coles said.

--
Mike Flyin'8
PP-ASEL
Temecula, CA
http://flying.4alexanders.com

wrote:
I do not usually like to copy and paste, but this I could not resist.
Makes me wonder how I would react. I am not a fan of snakes.

I guess we'll find out how Samuel L. Jackson reacts to Snakes on a
Plane in a couple months. That movie looks / sounds so cheesy, it just
might be good!

--
Guy

wrote in message
...
I do not usually like to copy and paste, but this I could not resist.
Makes me wonder how I would react. I am not a fan of snakes.

Hard to say exactly what kind of snake was involved, but I'm not aware of
any venomous snakes in the US that are all black. A venomous snake would
certainly worry me a bit, but a non-venomous one (such as was most likely
involved in this story) is unlikely to cause any sort of trouble at all,
unless the pilot specifically attacks it (such as in the posted story). The
worst it is likely to do is bite, which would be painful but not otherwise
threatening to the flight.

Even a venemous snake could easily leave the pilot alone all the way to a
safe landing, as long as the pilot leaves it alone too. IMHO, the correct
response would be to simply identify the nearest airport and land there
ASAP. Once on the ground, then you can worry about whether the snake is
venomous, and what to do with it (generally speaking, the local animal
control officials would be a good place to start).

Wrestling with a snake in the airplane when you ought to be flying the plane
instead seems like a pretty bad idea.

Pete

At least it is a non-poisonous snake. I've heard of
copperheads and rattlesnakes getting into airplanes. It
should make for a more complete pre-flight.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


wrote in message
...
|I do not usually like to copy and paste, but this I could
not resist.
| Makes me wonder how I would react. I am not a fan of
snakes.
|
|
| Pilot Fights Black Snake Stowaway on Plane
| Friday, June 02, 2006
|
| CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Monty Coles was 3,000 feet in the air
when he
| discovered a stowaway peeking out at him from the plane's
instrument panel
| - a 4 1/2-foot black snake.
|
| Coles had left Charleston earlier for a leisurely flight
over the West
| Virginia countryside last Saturday in his Piper Cherokee
and was preparing
| to land in Gallipolis, Ohio, when the snake revealed
itself.
|
| "Nothing in any of the manuals ever described anything
like this," the
| 62-year-old Cross Lanes resident said. But the advice
given 25 years
| earlier from his flight instructor immediately came to
mind: "No matter
| what happens, fly the plane."
|
| An attempt to swat the snake only resulted in it falling
to Coles' feet
| under the rudder pedals. It then darted to the other side
of the cockpit.
|
| While maintaining control of the single-engine plane with
one hand, Coles
| grabbed the reptile behind its head with his other.
|
| "There was no way I was letting that thing go. It coiled
all around my arm,
| and its tail grabbed hold of a lever on the floor and
started pulling,"
| Coles said.
|
| --
| Mike Flyin'8
| PP-ASEL
| Temecula, CA
| http://flying.4alexanders.com

wrote in message
...
I do not usually like to copy and paste, but this I could not resist.
Makes me wonder how I would react. I am not a fan of snakes.


Pilot Fights Black Snake Stowaway on Plane
Friday, June 02, 2006

You know the old saying, "it is more afraid of you, than you are of them?"

That applies in the case of a black snake. They are about as dangerous as a
hamster.

Still, I understand the fear that some people have about snakes.
--
Jim in NC

You just need to explain to the snake that you have a mutual interest
in the outcome of the flight.

-Robert

wrote:
I do not usually like to copy and paste, but this I could not resist.
Makes me wonder how I would react. I am not a fan of snakes.

I believe the article was not saying it was a snake that was black in
color, but that it was a "black snake," also known as a "rat snake."
They get big, but are not venemous nor particularly aggressive. Still,
I wouldn't want one pulling levers in the plane...

Cheers,
Wiz

Peter Duniho wrote:
wrote in message
...
I do not usually like to copy and paste, but this I could not resist.
Makes me wonder how I would react. I am not a fan of snakes.

Hard to say exactly what kind of snake was involved, but I'm not aware of
any venomous snakes in the US that are all black. A venomous snake would
certainly worry me a bit, but a non-venomous one (such as was most likely
involved in this story) is unlikely to cause any sort of trouble at all,
unless the pilot specifically attacks it (such as in the posted story). The
worst it is likely to do is bite, which would be painful but not otherwise
threatening to the flight.

Even a venemous snake could easily leave the pilot alone all the way to a
safe landing, as long as the pilot leaves it alone too. IMHO, the correct
response would be to simply identify the nearest airport and land there
ASAP. Once on the ground, then you can worry about whether the snake is
venomous, and what to do with it (generally speaking, the local animal
control officials would be a good place to start).

Wrestling with a snake in the airplane when you ought to be flying the plane
instead seems like a pretty bad idea.

Pete

"Peter Duniho" wrote

Hard to say exactly what kind of snake was involved, but I'm not aware of
any venomous snakes in the US that are all black.

A "black snake" is a real type of snake, not just "a snake that is black."

They are about as benign of a snake that exists. They hang out in gardens,
and in forests, and don't constitute any threat to people. They may bite
you, if you corner them, but all you get is a couple of puncture wounds out
of the deal.
--
Jim in NC

Personally, I don't care what color the snake is I'm sqwaking 7500 and
running after I land.

I had an incident with a couple of wasps in my car that was probably more
dangerous than
a snake in a plane.
Almost totaled my car trying to keep them away from my face.

David - Afraid of Bees, Wasps, Palmetto bugs, Snakes and anything that
crawls on my
neck or leg where I can't see what it is.

P.S. Just kidding about the 7500 so don't bother responding negatively about
it.

"Peter Duniho" wrote in message
...
wrote in message
...
I do not usually like to copy and paste, but this I could not resist.
Makes me wonder how I would react. I am not a fan of snakes.

Hard to say exactly what kind of snake was involved, but I'm not aware of
any venomous snakes in the US that are all black. A venomous snake would
certainly worry me a bit, but a non-venomous one (such as was most likely
involved in this story) is unlikely to cause any sort of trouble at all,
unless the pilot specifically attacks it (such as in the posted story).
The worst it is likely to do is bite, which would be painful but not
otherwise threatening to the flight.



In my eyes, ALL snakes are venomous!!!




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