Fuel Control Panels

[777_max]

This question is geared towards line guys who work at GA airports/ FBOs.
When fueling an aircraft that has an external fuel control panel on the outside, do you set up the panel or have the flight crew do it? Sometimes I get fuel orders and then ask the pilots to set up the control panel and get a weird look back. Some folks even say, "i've never even set that panel before".

 

[BEEF SUPREME]

I'd love to be that cavalier. I always set up the fuel panel. Told the fueler to stop at X gallons if the panel didn't stop it for some reason (this happened). I also check the filter dates and fire extinguisher dates at on the truck.


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[bimmerphile]

I usually did it myself, until I came across a type I hadn't used. Then I'd have the crew set it, watch, and do it myself from there on out

 

[groundguy]

I know how to set pretty much every common fuel panel by now and it kinda depends.. If the pilot tells me how much gallons or up to how much pounds , I don't wait for them, I just set it myself. If they're not specific or too vague, I wait till they do it. That's why Citations are the best though, no panel so you just hook up and go!

 

[777_max]

I usually did it myself, until I came across a type I hadn't used. Then I'd have the crew set it, watch, and do it myself from there on out

Same here. We get an ERJ-135 that stops by pretty much everyday and the crew taught us how to use it... Pretty dead simple panel to use. Same if we get 737s or freighter DC-9s, not a ton to mess up on those.

 

[NickH]

I also check the filter dates and fire extinguisher dates at on the truck.

I have never done this. I see that it's a good idea, no dispute, but I'd never given it much thought. Hmm...

 

[BEEF SUPREME]

I have never done this. I see that it's a good idea, no dispute, but I'd never given it much thought. Hmm...

It's a little known 135 requirement. Or so I've been told. Think of it as another way they can hang you.

Dare I say the one time I may have gotten some respect from my last CP was when I found out of date filters in TUS. He got a fuel discount because of it. Part 91 of course but in general it's a good idea to check.


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[bimmerphile]

It's a little known 135 requirement. Or so I've been told. Think of it as another way they can hang you.

Dare I say the one time I may have gotten some respect from my last CP was when I found out of date filters in TUS. He got a fuel discount because of it. Part 91 of course but in general it's a good idea to check.


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Only time I really had someone check the truck were for some long gulfstream flights, either across the pond or to ANC. Some crews had us pull a sump sample for them to examine, one guy did his own water detection test

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[BEEF SUPREME]

Only time I really had someone check the truck were for some long gulfstream flights, either across the pond or to ANC. Some crews had us pull a sump sample for them to examine, one guy did his own water detection test

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My understanding of the fuel filters is that they are like baby diapers. If there is water in the fuel those things don't let anything get past. That does not rule out some knucklehead removing the filters. So its all pretty much an exercise in redundancy. Of course the amount of time it takes to check the dates on the truck and the extinguishers beats any amount of time in a life raft. Or worse.

I just got into my head and it didn't cost anything to check. After my experience at XOJET I never gave anyone a reason to hang me. Also the fuelers were either cool or wanted to be a pilot or a combination of that. So it was good to say thank you and treat the line crew like humans.

Or maybe I'm a wanker. Regardless I'm making the easy money now. These days I just chill out in Chicago and ride my bike on the Lakefront trail. I haven't worked in a month now. It's glorious. When I do fly I just push buttons on the MCDU and tell the captain soothing things about their awesomeness. Easy. I do video my post flights so no one can throw me under the bus without a throw down at the hoe down. Again, it doesn't cost anything.


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[learhawkerbe400]

My understanding of the fuel filters is that they are like baby diapers. If there is water in the fuel those things don't let anything get past. That does not rule out some knucklehead removing the filters. So its all pretty much an exercise in redundancy. Of course the amount of time it takes to check the dates on the truck and the extinguishers beats any amount of time in a life raft. Or worse.

I just got into my head and it didn't cost anything to check. After my experience at XOJET I never gave anyone a reason to hang me. Also the fuelers were either cool or wanted to be a pilot or a combination of that. So it was good to say thank you and treat the line crew like humans.

Or maybe I'm a wanker. Regardless I'm making the easy money now. These days I just chill out in Chicago and ride my bike on the Lakefront trail. I haven't worked in a month now. It's glorious. When I do fly I just push buttons on the MCDU and tell the captain soothing things about their awesomeness. Easy. I do video my post flights so no one can throw me under the bus without a throw down at the hoe down. Again, it doesn't cost anything.


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You for real video your walk around?

 

[BEEF SUPREME]

You for real video your walk around?

First preflight and last post flight of the day. Because I learned the hard way. I've more than my fair share of bad experiences. Last time someone tried to blame me for bald spotting a set of main tires on a PC-12.


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[BigZ]

Or maybe I'm a wanker. Regardless I'm making the easy money now. These days I just chill out in Chicago and ride my bike on the Lakefront trail.

Hmmm....

Being serious though, probably doesn't hurt.
But then again... comment on the predeparture pic on FB from the company owner I did the trip with

#mylegwtf

 

[BEEF SUPREME]

It's why I left that world, you just can't win...


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[BigZ]

It's why I left that world, you just can't win...

I'm still trying. Mostly because I love it in FL though.
If only Air Wisconsin had a base here.

 

[BEEF SUPREME]

I'm still trying. Mostly because I love it in FL though.
If only Air Wisconsin had a base here.

If I could have kicked my own ass and told myself to just move 10 years ago and get a 121 job, I would now.

Something, something time travel paradox.

But I know we all have our reasons.


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[BigZ]

If I could have kicked my own ass and told myself to just move 10 years ago and get a 121 job, I would now.

Something, something time travel paradox.

But I know we all have our reasons.


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If it's any consolation, I have friends who did just that 10 years ago. Some of them made it, most of them still stuck and aren't too happy.
One of my CFIs has been in the right seat of ExpressJet for past six years after two lateral displacements/moves.
Another one made a captain at a regional if I remember right, but had been furloughed four months after he started and also had to make lateral moves.
Point being, you might or might not have missed much.
I know I had some reasonably good time during that period, but yes, nada flying career wise

 

[NickH]

Today's truck had filters on a yearly cycle (current), and monthly extinguisher check completed.. Did not video post flight.

 

[bimmerphile]

My understanding of the fuel filters is that they are like baby diapers. If there is water in the fuel those things don't let anything get past.


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This would not be true. Filters are for particulates only, water is sumped out of trucks/filters/tank farm daily. And yes, there is almost always water in there. It's stunning how little, maybe one booger in an entire 22,500 gal tank.
But I've also pulled an entire 5 gal bucket of water out of a truck, because some turkey left the vent on top open overnight for whatever stupid reason


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[BigZ]

This would not be true. Filters are for particulates only, water is sumped out of trucks/filters/tank farm daily. And yes, there is almost always water in there. It's stunning how little, maybe one booger in an entire 22,500 gal tank.
But I've also pulled an entire 5 gal bucket of water out of a truck, because some turkey left the vent on top open overnight for whatever stupid reason


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100LL yes, but how in the world do you sump water out of jet fuel tank?

 

[bimmerphile]

100LL yes, but how in the world do you sump water out of jet fuel tank?

Out of an airplane? For the most part, you don't, which is why it's critical to deliver clean fuel. Large aircraft do have sump drains, they're mostly inaccessible or a maintenance function.
Jet pits have a higher turnover simply because they sell more volume, so they tend to be less susceptible to humidity and temperature fluctuations that would cause significant condensation, where low lead pits tend to sell slower and have more day/night temp swings to condensate water. They're still sumped every day, and each truck is sumped and sampled when deliveries arrived, but you'll always get a little water out of a tank that sits outside if it's any kind of humid.

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