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The day a duck tried to become a line mechanic
Last Tuesday at the regional airport, a mallard waddled right into our hangar during a Cessna 172 annual. It must have followed the tug in, because next thing I know, it's standing under the wing staring at a dropped 10mm socket like it's a shiny bug. My lead, Frank, tried to shoo it out with a broom, but the duck just quacked and waddled over to inspect the landing gear strut. We had to stop work for a solid 20 minutes while animal control came to gently escort our new 'trainee' back to the pond. Has anyone else had wildlife try to join the crew on a job?
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lucas9722mo ago
That bit about the duck staring at the socket like a shiny bug... it's funny how animals always seem to find the most important spot to stand. Makes you wonder if they're just drawn to places where people are focused.
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jake_mason302mo ago
That idea about them being drawn to where we're focused feels off to me. I've seen my cat sit and stare at a blank wall for an hour, so they just get fixated on random stuff. They're probably just curious about anything new or shiny in their space.
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burns.brooke14d ago
Oh man, that's a really good point about the blank wall staring. I've seen my cat do that too, and it's probably just them zoning out or hearing something in the walls we can't pick up. But I still think there might be something to them noticing where our hands or eyes go, even if they also fixate on random things. Maybe it's both - they're drawn to what's interesting to them AND they've learned that when we're focused, something cool might happen, like food or a toy.
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