diff --git a/.pylintrc b/.pylintrc
index 64e096c20..47da22ed3 100644
--- a/.pylintrc
+++ b/.pylintrc
@@ -501,6 +501,7 @@ disable=raw-checker-failed,
         method-cache-max-size-none,
         no-else-raise, # pointless
         unnecessary-lambda-assignment, # ruff already checks this
+        abstract-method, # NotImplementedError marks optional methods (polations, sensors, plots)
 
 
 
diff --git a/rocketpy/environment/fetchers/elevation_fetcher.py b/rocketpy/environment/fetchers/elevation_fetcher.py
index c7a379b08..54ab28f30 100644
--- a/rocketpy/environment/fetchers/elevation_fetcher.py
+++ b/rocketpy/environment/fetchers/elevation_fetcher.py
@@ -39,5 +39,7 @@ def fetch_open_elevation(lat, lon):
     except (
         requests.exceptions.RequestException,
         requests.exceptions.JSONDecodeError,
+        KeyError,
+        IndexError,
     ) as e:
         raise RuntimeError("Unable to reach Open-Elevation API servers.") from e
diff --git a/rocketpy/tools.py b/rocketpy/tools.py
index 381f51b00..35d5a4aea 100644
--- a/rocketpy/tools.py
+++ b/rocketpy/tools.py
@@ -1203,8 +1203,7 @@ def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
             for i in range(max_attempts):
                 try:
                     return func(*args, **kwargs)
-                # pylint: disable=broad-except
-                except Exception as e:  # pragma: no cover
+                except Exception as e:  # pragma: no cover  # pylint: disable=broad-exception-caught
                     if i == max_attempts - 1:
                         raise e from None
                     delay = min(delay * 2, max_delay)
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/generic_surfaces/generic_surfaces_fixtures.py b/tests/fixtures/generic_surfaces/generic_surfaces_fixtures.py
index e3aa869ea..51fd0ad1d 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/generic_surfaces/generic_surfaces_fixtures.py
+++ b/tests/fixtures/generic_surfaces/generic_surfaces_fixtures.py
@@ -3,10 +3,12 @@
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope="session")
-def filename_valid_coeff(tmpdir_factory):
+def filename_valid_coeff(tmp_path_factory):
     """Creates temporary files used to test if generic surfaces
     initializes correctly from CSV files"""
-    filename = tmpdir_factory.mktemp("aero_surface_data").join("valid_coefficients.csv")
+    filename = tmp_path_factory.mktemp("aero_surface_data").joinpath(
+        "valid_coefficients.csv"
+    )
     pd.DataFrame(
         {
             "alpha": [0, 1, 2, 3, 0.1],
@@ -31,10 +33,10 @@ def filename_valid_coeff(tmpdir_factory):
         },
     )
 )
-def filename_invalid_coeff(tmpdir_factory, request):
+def filename_invalid_coeff(tmp_path_factory, request):
     """Creates temporary CSV files used to test if generic surfaces
     raises errors when initialized incorrectly from CSV files"""
-    filename = tmpdir_factory.mktemp("aero_surface_data").join(
+    filename = tmp_path_factory.mktemp("aero_surface_data").joinpath(
         "tmp_invalid_coefficients.csv"
     )
     pd.DataFrame(request.param).to_csv(filename, index=False)
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/generic_surfaces/linear_generic_surfaces_fixtures.py b/tests/fixtures/generic_surfaces/linear_generic_surfaces_fixtures.py
index 35ab9c1a2..990baf279 100644
--- a/tests/fixtures/generic_surfaces/linear_generic_surfaces_fixtures.py
+++ b/tests/fixtures/generic_surfaces/linear_generic_surfaces_fixtures.py
@@ -3,10 +3,10 @@
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope="session")
-def filename_valid_coeff_linear_generic_surface(tmpdir_factory):
+def filename_valid_coeff_linear_generic_surface(tmp_path_factory):
     """Creates temporary files used to test if a linear generic surface
     initializes correctly from CSV files"""
-    filename = tmpdir_factory.mktemp("aero_surface_data").join(
+    filename = tmp_path_factory.mktemp("aero_surface_data").joinpath(
         "valid_coefficients_lgs.csv"
     )
     pd.DataFrame(
@@ -33,10 +33,10 @@ def filename_valid_coeff_linear_generic_surface(tmpdir_factory):
         },
     )
 )
-def filename_invalid_coeff_linear_generic_surface(tmpdir_factory, request):
+def filename_invalid_coeff_linear_generic_surface(tmp_path_factory, request):
     """Creates temporary CSV files used to test if a linear generic surface
     raises errors when initialized incorrectly from CSV files"""
-    filename = tmpdir_factory.mktemp("aero_surface_data").join(
+    filename = tmp_path_factory.mktemp("aero_surface_data").joinpath(
         "tmp_invalid_coefficients_lgs.csv"
     )
     pd.DataFrame(request.param).to_csv(filename, index=False)
diff --git a/tests/unit/environment/test_fetchers.py b/tests/unit/environment/test_fetchers.py
index d6c9eb406..225f53e5d 100644
--- a/tests/unit/environment/test_fetchers.py
+++ b/tests/unit/environment/test_fetchers.py
@@ -501,3 +501,14 @@ def test_resolve_noaa_collection_path_rejects_unknown_model():
     """Unknown shortcuts must fail with an actionable ValueError."""
     with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="Unknown NOAA model collection"):
         fetchers.resolve_noaa_collection_path("not-a-model")
+
+
+def test_fetch_open_elevation_error_payload_raises_runtime_error(monkeypatch):
+    """An error payload (no ``results``) must surface as the documented RuntimeError."""
+    payload = {"code": "temporarily_unavailable", "error": "Retry shortly."}
+    monkeypatch.setattr(
+        fetchers.requests, "get", lambda *a, **k: _FakeResponse(payload)
+    )
+    monkeypatch.setattr("rocketpy.tools.time.sleep", lambda _: None)
+    with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="Open-Elevation"):
+        fetchers.fetch_open_elevation(48.858844, 2.294351)