Safety Brief: Aircraft Refueling Operations

Use the following guidelines when refueling aircraft at Civil Air Patrol provided facilities:

• Pilots will follow marshals to fueling area while maintaining visual contact with the marshals and obeying hand signals at all times.  Aircrew will scan for obstacles and, if necessary, deploy as wing-walkers to assist flight-line personnel.
• At the fueling point, secure the aircraft and have all crew members exit the aircraft before any fueling operations begin.  Make sure that the wheels are chocked.
• Make sure the airplane is grounded.  Attach a ground wire to the aircraft before fueling begins.  Use the exhaust pipe for the ground connection.  Be aware that this connection point is hot.
• Check to ensure that you are pumping the proper fuel into the aircraft.  CAP airplanes use 100 low lead fuel only.  GA fuel is tinted blue.
• Use a ladder to fuel the aircraft if one is available.  Do not place the ladder under the wing of the aircraft.  If no ladder is available, one crew member will climb aboard the aircraft steps to serve as the refueler, and another member will hand the fueling nozzle up and down to the refueler.
• Pilots will ensure that the correct level of fuel is pumped into the aircraft.  Filling to the tabs is important to the weight and balance of most of our aircraft fleet.  We do not want to have to pump fuel out of the tanks.
• As soon as fueling is completed, move the aircraft away from the fueling area and re-secure the aircraft.

For questions or concerns, e-mail NatCap Wing Safety at se@natcapwg.cap.gov.