Hey Fellow Pilots,
I have been searching and digging about the issue “self fueling”. I just want to make it as safe as possible and mitigate the risks. Because, this is going to change the scenario of my operation. I am about to acquire a Tecnam P2008 JC MK II, at the end of July, 2020. I have to refuel the airplane with MOGAS(EN 228 E5) by myself at one of the bases I plane to operate. I have been flying for 20 years but unfortunately this is my first time to wear the operator, pilot glasses. All my refueling before done by professionals. I am still waiting for the permission to have a fuel bowser at the airport. So, my only option is for some period of time is jerry can refueling.
What I have learnt about from my readings , I am planning to buy a conductive funnel, grounding / bonding cables, anti static gloves, and jerry cans ( metal ?? or plastic??).
I would like to hear your safety tips, advice and all ideas about the issue which I greatly concern and worry.
Every input is valuable. Thanks for your support.
What do you think about these? :
I fly a permit aircraft from a grass strip. The plane takes mogas. When fuelling at base, we use 20L metal jerry cans and a Mr Funnel. We have a couple of smaller, plastic 10L jerry cans that we take on trips for refuelling away from base, and a smaller Mr Funnel. No bonding cable or any special gloves. Sometimes I wear the disposable plastic gloves you get from the petrol station to keep my hands clean, but more often than not, don’t. Occasionally I have filled up using AVGAS at a larger airport where it’s not been possible to easily source Mogas nearby. In these cases, of course I’ll use the grounding/bonding cable there.
My experience of “adventurous” refueling went approximately this way:
Not the easiest and most straight forward thing, and it does require 2 persons, i my opinion because I don’t see how I could manage to climb up the wing with a 20l jerrycan!
The bonding requirement is derived from two potential (pun intended) hazards: The airplane having built up a charge while flying, and not being electrically grounded after landing. Then a careless fueller touches the grounded nozzle, and the electrical potential of the airplane tries to go to ground by sparking from the plane to the tip of the nozzle. So by bonding with the gas pump cable first, you make the plane the same electrical potential as the fuel pump, and you’re not going to have a spark. Thereafter, flowing gasoline can create a slight electrical potential.
So, if jerry canning; assure that the can sits on the ground between being in the car, and being in contact with the plane. It shouldn’t carry a charge from the car, but it’s easy to ground the can first. Then, assure that the jerry can electrically bonds to the plane by direct contact before opening it. Then assure that once the jerry can nozzle first touches the filler, you don’t break that connection for the entire time you’re flowing fuel.
I jerry canned often. I didn’t like doing it, and installed a tank and pump as soon as I was able, but I never had a problem jerry canning. Of course, use great care to prevent contamination of the gasoline in the jerry can handling. Inspect the inside of the can every time before fuelling. With those cautions observed, your greater risk and nuisance will be carrying the gasoline in your car.
I get all of the concerns mentioned by Pilot_DAR but I’ve been jerry-canning my little aircraft for more than 20 years without performing those risk mitigations and also without mishap.
When first acquired and filling from the airport fuel bowser I always did wonder about that bonding. My aircraft being entirely wood and fabric the only place to clip the bonding cable to was the engine, usually an exhaust nut, but would that equalise the potential with the (metal) fuel tank? I couldn’t see how it would. What I certainly never did was touch the fuel nozzle to the tank opening as I reckoned at the very minimum I’d risk losing my eyebrows.
So when I moved on to jerry-canning with mogas (metal cans) I never saw how to practically make a bond between can and tank, though my can(s) always are on the ground before opening and pouring. Also, I have a funnel (plastic) with a chamois filter between can and tank though I have no idea it that makes things better or worse. (That chamois filter will remove any particulate or water contamination from the fuel.)
Latterly, with increasing dotage I do now tend to decant from can to a jug then jug to filter funnel in the tank opening, which is practical for me given the frugality of my little machine but maybe not so much for WingsWaterAndWheels.
So while the risks are probably very real, they may not be very likely. I have friends who operate in a similar fashion to myself and I’d never heard of any of them losing their eyebrows…or their aircraft.. Not to a fire at any rate.
None of the above is intended as recommendations, but rather as an account of my personal experience.
I’ve seen people use the pump up jerry can attachment with what looks like pretty reasonable success. Something like this.
I’ve been using metal jerricans on a wood- and-fabric plane for 30 years. Plastic funnel, no precautions for 20+ years.
Earlier we used a metal funnel with an earth wire. The tank should be bonded to the engine, I think, or fuel movement might create an electric potential??
When we could night fly, I flew on a dry, clear, calm, frosty evening. I put in two cans, using the earth wire.
Got in my car, unzipped leather jacket worn over wool sweater. Flashes of static lit up. :-(
@Pilot_DAR, I understand the hypothetical risk but I’ve always been a bit puzzled as to why we take such elaborate anti-static precautions when topping up airplane tanks with AVGAS, but none at all when pumping AUTOGAS into our cars at the local gas station, or when filling lawnmowers, generators, motorcycles, ski-doos etc. – despite the allowable Reid Vapor Pressure of AUTOGAS being up to twice that of 100LL AVGAS.
Can anyone point to reliable airplane and automobile fuelling accident records which would justify the disparity in behaviour of airplane operator and car driver?
Thanks for your answers, I am really grateful. Some more questions are on the way. Tomorrow I have a flight to Munchen after 70 day-covid-grounded period, getting back to sky, so excited.
@Jacko The quick answer for your question may be that the fueling equipment at the gas stations are certified and the hoses have their wired coating, and when you or the fuel guy tucks the nozzle in, it is aldready bonded to the fuel unit. No possibility of sparks. On the other hand, there are several fires, when people get back to their car seat, load themselves with static electric and touch the nozzle without touching any metal part of their car.
According to the internet, car tyres are conductive.
And all the parts of a petrol pump are exceedingly well earthed; I work above one and have seen it.
So you can just shove the nozzle of the pump into the car and go for it.
