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Ask <i>FLYING</i>: Do I Need To Learn How To Refuel My Airplane?

If you've never refueled an aircraft before, here are nine tips to help you do so safely during your next pit stop.

A refueler at work. [Courtesy: Meg Godlewski]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Self-fueling an aircraft is an important skill for pilots, especially as self-serve options become more common and FBOs get busier.
  • The refueling process requires following specific steps to ensure safety, including proper grounding of the aircraft and verifying the correct fuel type.
  • Pilots should be aware of procedural details such as using a ladder for high-wing aircraft, determining remaining fuel, and performing post-fueling checks like sumping for contamination.
See a mistake? Contact us.

Question: I have been renting aircraft for years from an FBO that has recently become very busy. I was surprised when the FBO told me that I would have to refuel the airplane I had rented because it had just come back from a flight. They handed me a company credit card so it wasn’t the cost that bothered me—it’s that I have been flying for years but never have refueled an airplane before. Is this something new and something I should know how to do?

Answer:

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.

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