Pumping gas from containers into the wings while on the ground

I know a guy that wrecked a plane once so we better all sell the planes and take up knitting because its much safer than enjoying life.[/QUOTE]


OhhNo mr. I know a guy who died while knitting, he got tangled up and fell down in the yarn while throwing his hand's in the air over reading some posts about the dangers of transferring gas into his plane. he had nothing to live for anymore.

akavidflyer said:

How is it possible that millions of gallons of gas is transferred daily without the entire world having become a giant fireball?

Click to expand...

Because they do it properly, and I've worked in the oil patch enough to respect that.

Where's George when we need him?

OLDCROWE said:

Because they do it properly.

Click to expand...

BULL#&it , we have not blown up so you are telling we are doing it wrong and dangerously but then you just say we are doing it properly. cant have both worlds mr.

OLDCROWE said:

Because they do it properly, and I've worked in the oil patch enough to respect that.

Click to expand...

I've only been in the oil patch for 30 yrs so far. Properly? You mean refueling motorsports vehicles from plastic cans with the engine running? Hot fueling from all kinds of "makeshift" containers? Racers dumping fuel in seconds into the cars without bond straps tied to the grid?

Are the switches used in the planes intrinsically safe and all connections explosion proof? if they are not, how could you possibly sit in your ticking time bomb of an airplane and throw the switch to start it. Its "possible" that you have an undetected gas leak and fumes are built up inside the cowling just waiting for you to hit the starter... See where I am going with this? We can what if the world to death and take every bit of fun out of our lives if we really allow ourselves to do it.

How about using a tiny bit of common sense (I know, its a dirty word these days) and not being a fear monger.

Like the other guy My bro. I have worked in the oilfield also and am presently at work in the oilfield. Been doing since the mid 80's. Im fixing to go do a dangerous chemical transfer from a truck to a tote. in high static conditions the ARCTIC. Yes we will use a ground and spill containment and proper PPE. does stuff go wrong yep am I worried NOPE. Do we do the job properly yep. If I even thought for one little minute what I was doing with my fueling was dangerous and could blow myself and my toys up ie airplane sleds bikes ect. I would not do it. Do we need to be cautious and use our heads yep. GO FLY GUYS HAVE FUN ENJOY THE AIR TODAY BECAUSE ITS BEING POISONED BY OUR AIRPLANES AND BURNING FOSSIL FUELS AND WE ARE ALL GOIN TO DIE FROM IT.

Knock it off.

We're in aviation. We always strive to make each operation as safe as possible and all the while knowing that we can't possible account for all variables. Ideas have been put forward and the pros and cons have been discussed for these different ideas. Now make your own decision. What ever method you use, just keep in mind the dangers of handling your particular fuel (they all differ slightly). Then make sure that you are as safe as possible each and every time you do it. Even if you only have one fuel related fire in your life time, it can leave you without a plane, without your health, or dead.

Web

Wow, this changed from a thread with some useful info into kind of a flame fest. Too bad.

A friend of mine recently bought a fueling set-up consisting of two 7.5 gallon cans that look like the one pictured in post #45,
plus a twirly hand pump.
Seems to work pretty well, he needs to buy some more limber hose for it though.
I suggested that he count the twirls required to pump a gallon,
then if he knows how much he wants to put in, he can just count the twirls,
instead of repeatedly stopping to check the level in the tank.

FWIW I have four 5 gallon cans that I've been using for over 20 years to fuel with mogas.
I just pack one up the ladder, set it atop the wing,
then maneuver the spout down into the tank & lay the can on it's side to drain.
I've been doing this for so long that even when I put in 100LL,
I pump it into my cans & put it in the airplane the same as I do the mogas.

I don't doubt that there is some miniscule risk of fire when refueling from plastic jerry cans. However, I've lived in arctic conditions for over fifty years and have never heard of a single refueling accident up here. That includes the hundreds of ATV's, boats and snowmobiles that are refueled in this way in this community alone. Multiply that by the 25 communities in Nunavut, about the same number in NWT and Yukon, many more in other parts of northern Canada. The locals are not at all careful with this stuff but their total ignorance of safety concerns doesn't seem to have affected their survival rate.

My normal airplane fueling is done from a drum with an electric pump and I always carry enough fuel that I don't usually have to refuel in the field. When I do I use a plastic jerry can and a "jiggle" syphon. I changed the cheap vinyl hose on the syphon to surgical rubber, which stays flexible even at minus 40.

Ok, I will chime in.

My first ride in a King Air was a medic from Haines to Seattle burn unit. Fueling my boat, spilled some fuel, washed it to the back, went to pump it out- spark at the battery and BOOM!

The difference between life and death was my saying a profanity as the flames went from the battery 3 feet away towards and then around me- burning everything in it's path. My shout, though poor language, pushed enough of the flame away to stay out of my airway.

It still hurt. Lots.

It was not the liquid fuel, it was the fumes that ignited. It was a cool evening, fumes settled down into the hull, not up and away.

Was not the first time I fuled my boat from the tank in the truck, but reaching into the fire to shut off and remove the fuel nozzle from the tank, and then having to decide to use the one extinguisher to put out the burning fuel tank or the burning sleeve of the jacket I was wearing, (and melting into my skin), that was a lesson in one in one hundred thousand.

Did I mention burning skin is painful?

Cheap shortcuts with gas is not something I am willing to put up with anymore. There is a reason 'explosion proof' switches, lights and such are available for people working around fuels and chemicals.

However you decide, take a little extra care, and time. Buy a BIG fire extinguisher, buy three, to have on hand for your fueling area or truck. the normal bottle you see on a boat or car? That is just enough to maybe clear a 6' path in the flames to escape. If you have more than a 5 gallon bucket sized fire, it won't be enough. Have more than one, as I had to reach back into the fire to get the extinguisher.

I almost lost my medical permanently due to damage to my hands.

Fire marshal regulations are all written in someone's blood or charred skin. Please consider that it can happen to any of us.

Good closing statement.

Web