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Lanyards for the Gas Caps?

I wish I'd had one a couple of weeks ago. Gas caps do you no good at all when left to roll off the back of the wing on takeoff.
 
No way, cause more damage when they bang around in the airflow. I carry a spare cap. Had one come off on another aircraft and it was not pretty.
 
I have a gas cap tool on my key ring.

When I remove the cap, I lay it and the keys on the wing walk on that wing. Ditto the second wing when I move on to fuel it.

Pretty hard to miss putting the cap back on before flight if the keys are right there next to the cap.
 
No way, cause more damage when they bang around in the airflow. I carry a spare cap. Had one come off on another aircraft and it was not pretty.

My thoughts exactly. I'd rather it be gone than bang all over the wing. Either way the gas is gone.

I keep the cap in my hand if it's not in the tank, and I have a bottle opener on my keys to open them so keys have to come out to refuel. If the cap leaves my hand, it only goes back on the tank. I too keep a spare in my tool kit if one ever departs.
 
lessons learned....

I have a gas cap tool on my key ring.

When I remove the cap, I lay it and the keys on the wing walk on that wing. Ditto the second wing when I move on to fuel it.

Pretty hard to miss putting the cap back on before flight if the keys are right there next to the cap.

....so Mike, I like this variation on the " put your keys in your shoes when you get to the party....."

never lost a pair of shoes ( or keys) that way. Surprised one or two buddies with the same kind of footwear I'm sure!:p

...ah, so, NO, I don't lanyard the caps. It WOULD keep them from rolling away, but setting them upside down on the wing does that.
Much bigger deal on high-wings I suppose.
Not a bad Idea to add to your pre-taxi, or run-up checklist;
" left cap - ON.....right cap - ON"
 
I have locking Andair gas caps and keep the gas cap key and ignition key on the same ring. You can not remove the key from the cap unless its in the installed lock position. No way can I take off without the ignition key.
 
Deluxe Caps - Here's How I Did It

My deluxe caps didn't have any provisions for attaching a lanyard, so I created one. Looking carefully, I found a position in the plastic locking ring that had enough space for some safety wire. I drilled a #50 hole, cleaned out the cap, and wired the chain with a double loop.

I ended the chain 2.5 inches from the edge of the filler hole in the skin.

2uenrer.jpg


I verified that the lanyard has no impact upon the sealing or locking functions.

The chain, incidentally, weighs about a gram per inch, so it's fairly heavy. A lighter chain that I bought failed a pull-test. I'd figured that I wanted at least 15 pounds force capability. The bottom end of the chain is anchored by safety wire to one of the tank's baffles.

Dave
 
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I'd figured that I wanted at least 15 pounds force capability.

Yea, you want to be sure that the chain doesn't break while the cap is pounding the *#%$& out of the top of your wing while you fly a short pattern to get back on the ground and latch it properly.......:rolleyes:
 
In addition to asking VAF, I had asked some local friends. One, a flight instructor who owns a Bonanza, said:

"Having left a cap off on a friends Bonanza, it doesn't move in the airflow. I'd use a light chain. "

So I figured, hey, if it's not bashing around, let's retain the sucker.

Dave
 
In addition to asking VAF, I had asked some local friends. One, a flight instructor who owns a Bonanza, said:

"Having left a cap off on a friends Bonanza, it doesn't move in the airflow. I'd use a light chain. "

So I figured, hey, if it's not bashing around, let's retain the sucker.

Dave

I can tell you from first hand experience a tethered cap doesn't move around at all on the wing of a LongEZ. I use 1/16" SS control cable with Nicopress sleeves to tether the caps.
 
Fuel Cap

I've got the same installation as Dave on my -4 and so does a friend and his came off at rotation and just stay there in the slipstream all the way to the ramp...

Cost him a few gallons of fuel though..:rolleyes:

Bruno..
 
Locking gas caps are the way to go. Like it was said earlier, you can't takeoff without the keys to the ignition.
 
Years ago we had a guy at the airport with an Aerostar. After returning from a trip our line guys found two gas caps loose and hanging by their chains. Seems it was raining when he departed and didn't check his caps because he "didn't want to get wet".
 
I always put the gas cap in front of the tire as a chock when fueling. That way I can't go forward if I forget and they can't roll down the wing.
 
Locking gas caps are the way to go. Like it was said earlier, you can't takeoff without the keys to the ignition.

I can I have a starter push button. :)

I also have locking caps but for three years of flying I never used that feature. I personally think it is unnecessary to chain the cap.
 
Chains for your gas caps? Not interested here. If your head is not in the game, you might want to consider hanging up flying. Really... Always a general pre-flight before each launch and after each and every full stop landing. :)
 
Oh, a tether lets you take off with the caps off, so you can still do that if you want to.

All it does is let you reuse the caps afterwards.

Dave
 
Chains for your gas caps? Not interested here. If your head is not in the game, you might want to consider hanging up flying. Really... Always a general pre-flight before each launch and after each and every full stop landing. :)

This would be an awfully lonely sport if it were only for those who NEVER make mistakes.;) I've left a fuel cap off of my 170 twice in 32 years. They are chained to the interior of the filler neck, and didn't leave any marks that wouldn't polish out.
 
This would be an awfully lonely sport if it were only for those who NEVER make mistakes.

Wise statement...thank you.

One of my personal rules is to backtrack a couple of steps if something or somebody distracts me. I have been guilty of not complying in the past...but I still try.
 
Caps

I've yet to leave a fuel cap loose (but I've forgotten many other things). When I sump or fill a tank, the cap stays in my hand until it is securely latched back into position. Works every time!

Skylor
RV-8
 
Less of a problem for me on the low wing RV-10. I can see them out the window. The aforementioned locking caps help a lot too (key start). On the Kitfox however, while fueling I have learned to place the caps on the cowl where they will be in my line of sight from the pilots seat. I even turn the snorkel vent tubes sideways to increase the likelihood of seeing them. :eek:
 
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