The jerkwith the squirt

[Head Turner]

How closely do you check and monitor your refuelling?

A horror situation occurred the other day during a rotors running refuel when the refueller attached the static line to an expensive peice of paintwork then almost inserted the nozzle into the tank with the nozzle contaminated with grass cuttings. Fortunately I was on hand to avert the loss of paint and to ensure that no FOD entered the tank. It was obvious to me that the refueller had been given the job but was totally unaware of his responsibility that he had to deliver clean safe fuel to the aircraft. There might be others who have the job but have never undergong correct training.

Is your refueller fully conversant with his duties and responsibilities?

[belly tank]

The qusetion really is " WHOS GRASS WAS HE REALLY CUTTING" head turner...hopefully not yours buddy!:{ .........yes you must wipe your nozzel before inserting into expensive real estate:D ......sorry i had to have a swipe at this one:D

[diethelm]

I was taught to always do it myself. Never let the dude with the hat on sideways do it. They pull up, I give them the credit card, I ground and pump and then hand it back to them.

[Codger]

Best is to do it yourself. Second best is to watch very, very closely.

That one morning at -35 when you let them do it results in a tankful of avgas in a Mooney TBM.
Not checking for water after top up is just as risky. " could not have come from us, must have been in there and stirred up when we pumped in fresh fuel". Thanks, buddy, I didn't see the sign advertising free refresher on glider approaches with every fill-up.

[Colonal Mustard]

Aaah but what about rotors running refuels (although less and less airfields do them now)

[IFMU]

My favorite was the refueler that left his ladder behind on a windy day. Ladder blew into and damaged the horizontal stabilizer.

-- IFMU

[Colonal Mustard]

I know of one refueller who was that pi**ed off by the pilot (if i`m correct it was a case of YOU OVER THERE, fill her up NOW kinda attitude) that he flew off an hour later (after a spot of lunch) with a live chicken in the boot...never did find out what happened, but it was funny listening to the countless stories about watching the "bird" climbing away on departure:D

He never came back again

[scooter boy]

Every paint chip/ding (but one - done by engineering) on my aircraft is a direct consequence of refuelling. I cringe when they climb the ladder with their heavy boots and steel toecaps millimetres from my fuselage and splash fuel all over my paintwork.
Best to refuel it yourself and keep the fuel monkey off the ladder.
I may sound obsessional here but put another way how would they like having their prized car of commensurate value treated the same way?

Although no use for longer trips a bowser at home helps to minimise the need for fuel uplift at airports and consequent damage or contamination acquired through refuelling. It also helps keep the cost down (by about 20%).

SB

[Head Turner]

So the consensus of opinion is that refuellers are hazardous (undertrained and undersupervised) to both the aircraft structure and the safety of the aircraft.
So who are these flight safety morons? Are they the refuellers of the main petrochemical companys or are they the airfield/FBO refuellers, or both.
IMHO it is the airfield refuellers who cause me the greatest heartaches.