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POSTING RULES

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Today's Posts
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View Poll Results: How do you like your fuel?
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I'll pump my own fuel thank you!
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129 |
72.88% |
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I can't be bothered with manual labor so I have someone else do it!
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I don't care as long as it's cheap!
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48 |
27.12% |

08-23-2011, 07:54 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Sutter Creek, CA
Posts: 842
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RV7Guy
I have no problem with having someone else put fuel in, but I monitor the process. I have found that most FBO's will go out of their way to get things right. Heck, I've ran more fuel over my wings than they have
Let's take a different look at this. Most line folks are young people working their way into the aviation system. I take this time to talk with them, see what their plans are, going to school etc... It is amazing how much enthusiasm they have and how excited they get talking to the pilot/owners. For me, possibly making a difference in a young persons life is worth the few cents a gallon more. Plus, some have some great stories!!!
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I might over flow my tanks about 1% of the time. A line service guy manages to do it about 50% of the time! My PA-20 fills real quick about the last two gallons, and when you try to tell a guy about it, he spend the next 15 seconds telling you how good he is while the fuel is spewing out the top.
I pumped a lot of fuel when I was a kid, but I was well trained and cared a lot about doing a good job. Don't see that today. Sorry, but no one will touch my fuel caps without me knowing them and watching carefully!
As was already stated, there is nothing more scary that a line service tech jamming 8 inches of nozzle into your tank, and then letting loose with 50GPM of fuel. Once after allowing a tech to fuel my Pacer, I noticed that the fuel quantity was erroneous. The guy had bent the wire for the float either with the nozzle or the high flow of the fuel.
__________________
Mark Ohlau
RV-6 N506MM VAF #1410
2017 Donation Made
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08-23-2011, 07:56 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: La Feria Texas
Posts: 3,822
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I worked a year or two at a MillionAire FBO. The bozos we hired were pretty much just that, careless and sloppy. I will NEVER allow someone else to fuel my plane.
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08-23-2011, 08:06 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Green Bay, WI (GRB)
Posts: 479
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"As was already stated, there is nothing more scary then a line service tech jamming 8 inches of nozzle into your tank, and then letting loose with 50GPM of fuel."
It's not uncommon to see dents on the under side of the wing right below the filler port when they jam a 8" nozzle into a 6.5" deep tank.
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Don Pansier
Green Bay, WI (GRB)
RV-7 N450DP
W9LYX
Antennas for Experimental Aircraft
www.deltapopaviation.com
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08-23-2011, 08:17 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Venice, Fl
Posts: 1,020
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Not Any Longer
When I first got my 1946 Tcraft (Front tank and 2 High wing tanks) I let a line service fill it while I took a break from a cross country. They managed to put the caps on backward (wing tanks) with the vertical vent facing aft. I was new enough to the airplane and had let line crews service rental aircraft before so I never checked them before take-off. (My mistake, I know I should have confirmed they were at least back on and I would have found the problem)
Sucked a lot of gas out of the tanks before I landed again......
That was absolutely the last time I let anyone put fuel in my aircraft (18 years ago). I have never had a problem explaining the old, fragile tank lip needs TLC.
It will be the same for my RV-6.....old, fragile tank lip... 
__________________
Gary Palinkas - Gman.... VAF #161
Venice, Fl
RV-6 "Sassy" Flying 400 hrs since Oct 2011
Lycoming 0-360 A1A, FP Sensenich Prop
SARL #19 .... Van's Calendar March 2015
Although exempt several ways, =VAF= Dues paid to support this awesome site/family
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08-23-2011, 08:59 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Dublin, OH
Posts: 78
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Just tell them you want to fuel it yourself
They have never refused me this request.
LeRoy Johnston RV-6A "Esperanza" 500 hrs Ohio
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08-23-2011, 10:09 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: London, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 182
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I fuel myself at all times if I do not work with them. I know how much I want, and it's peace of mind knowing how much went in. I put my caps on a certain way, I inspect seals every times. I ensure I'm not resting the hose on the leading edge, I ensure the handle doesn't rest on the top skin, and I also ensure the nozzle is not putting any side strain on the filler neck. I also put my caps on the same way.
I only allow my ground crew that I am accustom with, and they know my practices. Consistency is important to me.
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Adam D. Oke
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08-23-2011, 11:55 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Seattle
Posts: 1,412
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I get ethanol free fuel from a local card lock station, and fuel my Cessna myself.
I save up to $2 per gallon, and don't worry about Jet A in my tanks etc.
No line boy seems very intereseted in filling a 1958 Bellanca, or moving it around either. They just stand back and say they don't know anything about such old planes.
I expect the same treatment when the RV-8 is up and running. If I tell them I need to do it, I never get any trouble.
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Scott Emery
http://gallery.eaa326.org/v/members/semery/
EAA 668340, chapter 326 & IAC chapter 67
RV-8 N89SE first flight 12/26/2013
Yak55M, and the wife has an RV-4
There is nothing-absolute nothing-half so much worth doing as simply messing around with Aeroplanes
(with apologies to Ratty)
2019
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08-24-2011, 08:22 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 240
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I had a real bad streak at KRYY where I'd ask for fuel to tabs in my Cherokee, and invariably it'd be full. In the summer time, two significantly-better-than-FAA-standard-weight humans with full fuel in a Cherokee is just a wee bit over gross, so I was pretty picky about fuel to tabs.
I finally got to observe the line guy that couldn't figure out tabs in action, and he told me he thought the tabs were the filler neck where it holds the cap on.
*sigh*
On my way home from OSH this year in the Cherokee, I hung around and watched the line guy fill the plane because again, weight was absolutely critical. Sure enough, he overshot the tab by about 10 gallons, and I had to explain to him where the tab was, and take 10 gallons shy of tabs in the other tank.
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Ian
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08-24-2011, 08:34 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: London, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 182
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tmbg
I had a real bad streak at KRYY where I'd ask for fuel to tabs in my Cherokee, and invariably it'd be full. In the summer time, two significantly-better-than-FAA-standard-weight humans with full fuel in a Cherokee is just a wee bit over gross, so I was pretty picky about fuel to tabs.
I finally got to observe the line guy that couldn't figure out tabs in action, and he told me he thought the tabs were the filler neck where it holds the cap on.
*sigh*
On my way home from OSH this year in the Cherokee, I hung around and watched the line guy fill the plane because again, weight was absolutely critical. Sure enough, he overshot the tab by about 10 gallons, and I had to explain to him where the tab was, and take 10 gallons shy of tabs in the other tank.
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I wouldn't have a clue what a "tab full" is either.  Communication is a two way street. You could communicate volume in the proper way fuel is delivered (i.e. Units; US Gals or Litres )
If I told you to fill my spray plane to the peg you would look at me all googly eyed, but if I told your 200 us gals, I bet I would get 200 us gals.
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Adam D. Oke
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08-24-2011, 10:12 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Ft Myers, FL
Posts: 276
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Perhaps a corrolary to this would be to post places to go to get self-serve gas around the country. I live in the Tampa Bay area and I know Bartow (KBOW) has self serve fuel.
Those of you that use ForeFlight can find fuel prices listed on the map page. I keep my plane at KPIE where fuel at Signature is $3.00 higher per gallon than at the self-serve pumps at Bartow.
Maybe a sticky would be appropriate to post this unless there already is one and I'm not aware of it.
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Bill Near
RV-7A Flying
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