Fuel rules

[Grogmonster]

I have noticed some posts in the past and recently complaining about refuellers. Some points are warranted and some are not. While the vast majority of pilots are great there are a few who don't get it. I think it would be helpful if some pilots could understand the following;

1. Generally the refueller does not own the facility and he / she is probably not the highest paid worker in the region.
2. All refuellers have a right to days off and to spend time with family.
3. All refuellers have a right to expect common courtesy from pilots.
4. All refuellers get up at 2am and serve Emergency Services without complaint.

So please consider taking this advice as a pilot.

1. Always ring ahead and make arrangements for your refuel. This applies especially to Rotary pilots who think that they are God and can turn up at 6am on Sunday morning and complain when they have to wait 45 minutes to be fuelled.
2. Ask all the questions during that phone call so that there are no surprises with regards to time lost, call out fees, method of payment or the fact that the Avgas ran out two days ago and the truck won't be there until next week because the roads are flooded.
3. If you are real smart, and your flight is departing from a metropolitan area, ask if you could bring something out with you to this remote region that might be appreciated. You might be surprised how much a current newspaper improves someones day.
4. Just be appreciative, friendly and happy and you will be repaid in spades.

Are you getting the drift?

Groggy

[bagchucka]

You might be surprised how much a current newspaper improves someones day

are you the warburton refueller? :}

[neville_nobody]

probably not the highest paid worker in the region

But he is making twice what the pilot is. 3 -4 times more if on a minesite. Often heard the line at 4am "No way I'd be out here at this time for the sort of money you get paid"

Aviation is a 24/7 business if you want every weekend off go work in a bank or for the TIO.

Newspaper/fesh fruit etc is a nice touch for people who you deal with in the outback on a regular basis.

[glekichi]

4. All refuellers get up at 2am and serve Emergency Services without complaint.

Not in my short aeromedical experience!!
There's nothing quite like doing several hours of unpaid overtime in a medical emergency, only to cop an earful from the refueller because he fell out of the wrong side of the bed.

(The majority are good, however.)

[Grogmonster]

Neville,

Just to clear up a few things here. I am a driver not a refueller. I have never been to Warburton and I will bet my house you don't work 24/7 Neville.

I was trying to get across the point that it never hurt anyone to be polite and thoughtful especially if you want something like Fuel at a remote location. I too have been on the receiving end of a cranky refueller but I know a lot of good ones as well.

Locations that spring to mind where I have been looked after with excellent service are Charleville, Mount Isa, Longreach, Moree, Dubbo and so forth.

Have a happy Easter.

Groggy

[gobbledock]

Locations that spring to mind where I have been looked after with excellent service are Charleville, Mount Isa, Longreach, Moree, Dubbo and so forth.
And of course TSV. The Townsville Refueller is always most accomodating.

[Compylot]

A couple of other things that spring to mind pilots should be mindful of-

1. Switch off mobile phones and any other ignition sources

2. No smoking

3. and most importantly turn off the engine before refuelling

also while most refuellers are happy to drive you into town for supplies or are obliged to provide overnight accomodation due breakdowns/weather etc it is nice in these circumstances to at least offer a couple of dollars for their efforts :ok:

Happy easter flying :)

[Desert Flower]

But he is making twice what the pilot is.

Not all refuellers are on wages mate! I speak from experience - I was on commission. A lousy three cents per litre of fuel & five cents for a bottle of oil. And for this you were expected to be on call 24/7/365.

1. Always ring ahead and make arrangements for your refuel.

My pet peeve was just getting home at five o'clock in the afternoon, & before I even had a chance to make myself a cup of coffee someone would ring from the airport & say oh I've just got here & want fuel now so I can go on to woop woop before the end of last light. Very hard to be polite to people like that!

DF.

[Unhinged]

It's a two way street guys. I've rarely met refuellers who were anything other than helpful, but the other kind are most certainly out there. So, in return I'd ask the refuellers to understand that:

Generally the pilot does not own the aircraft and he / she is probably not the highest paid worker in the region.
All pilots have a right to days off and to spend time with family.
All pilots have a right to expect common courtesy from refuellers.
Just be appreciative, friendly and happy and you will be repaid in spades.

[anothertwit]

@ unhinged, :E :D

[FRQ Charlie Bravo]

You know, it may be a very small token but when somebody else fills up the aircraft and I'm around (truck or bowser) I almost always make an attempt to reel in the static line as a tiny show of my appreciation and put away the ladder if one was required. (Time or circumstances permitting of course.)

It's not really about speeding things along or helping reduce workload, it's about acknowledgement.

Add to the mix that often the ONLY local with whom you may have a chance to strike up a bit of a rapport will be the local refueller I would suggest that it might be worth that bit of common courtesy to be able to make a friend at YXXX for the odd stormy or gremlin-filled night when you can't get home.

Just my 2 cents.

FRQ CB

[AIREHEAD]

I've seen both sides of the fence. Back in the early 80's I was a refueler at a country aerodrome. I was only paid a commision and on call 24/7. I was almost certainly the lowest paid worker at the airport. Most pilots were good and rang before depature, but some were real asreholes and would turn up unannouced and demand immediate service evan if you were 20km away. After I became a full time pilot I always gave refuellers a lot of respect and try to give them as much notice as possible. In GA there's two groups of people you don't upset, refuellers and engineers, without them your going nowhere.

[Pinky the pilot]

My pet peeve was just getting home at five o'clock in the afternoon, & before I even had a chance to make myself a cup of coffee someone would ring from the airport & say oh I've just got here & want fuel now so I can go on to woop woop before the end of last light.

And they did'nt even bring you any fruitcake or minties either, did they DF?:(

[Angle of Attack]

On call 24/7 would really suck surely there would be a refuellers roster otherwise you cant even have a few beers! Apart from the TSV refueller he is Chuck Norris on Steroids!

[gobbledock]

On call 24/7 would really suck surely there would be a refuellers roster otherwise you cant even have a few beers! Apart from the TSV refueller he is Chuck Norris on Steroids!
Agreed. An absolute legend. He would do the job for free !!

[Clearedtoreenter]

In GA there's two groups of people you don't upset, refuellers and engineers, without them your going nowhere.

How true.... and don't they know it!

[Desert Flower]

And they did'nt even bring you any fruitcake or minties either, did they DF?

Nope. Really miss that fruitcake! And those delicious strawberry & lemon filled shortbread biscuits...:{

DF.

[Desert Flower]

On call 24/7 would really suck surely there would be a refuellers roster

Not when you're the only employee! I can remember going for three weeks averaging 2&1/2 hours sleep per night back during the strike of '89.

DF.

[Clearedtoreenter]

Not when you're the only employee!

So is it those evil customers who call themelves pilots or maybe your employers or the oil companies that the gripe should be aimed at?

[Desert Flower]

So is it those evil customers who call themelves pilots or maybe your employers or the oil companies that the gripe should be aimed at?

I was employed by Air BP. If I wanted to employ someone to fill in for me I had to pay them out of my own pocket - more than what I was making from my commission sales. No-one in this area was really interested in taking on the job, particularly once they found out that they could be called out in the middle of the night & in all sorts of weather. There were very few people that I trusted with the job. The few times I did get someone to fill in while I went away I spent considerable time after getting back sorting out the mess they made with the paperwork. And I was told by one of my customers once "Don't you EVER get that person again!"

DF.

[gileraguy]

when pilots complain about the call-out fee when the refueller is already filling another aircraft on the field, its like they HATE having to spend money or something. Its only $50 fer chr1sts sake!

Its still out of hours and so what if there's multiple birds on the field?
You could have been the only one and then you wouldn't be able to whinge. (or then again)

So NOT saving money is the motivator for the rants...

[Stationair8]

Wait until refueller has just arrived home, that's after the RPT flight has run two hours late and then only took minimal fuel, ring him for fuel, when he arrives after putting tea on hold, ask for him 17 litres in the left side and 19 litres in the right hand side of your Warrior. Then tell him that you are heading off next morning at 08.00am, while trying to explain that the carnet card is out of date.

[Desert Flower]

Wait until refueller has just arrived home, that's after the RPT flight has run two hours late and then only took minimal fuel, ring him for fuel, when he arrives after putting tea on hold, ask for him 17 litres in the left side and 19 litres in the right hand side of your Warrior. Then tell him that you are heading off next morning at 08.00am, while trying to explain that the carnet card is out of date.

Stationair8, you've just described a scenario that I am all too familiar with!

when pilots complain about the call-out fee when the refueller is already filling another aircraft on the field, its like they HATE having to spend money or something. Its only $50 fer chr1sts sake!

If I went out for one aircraft & a couple more turned up I never charged each one a call-out fee - anyone that does that has a damn cheek as far as I'm concerned. And the highest call-out fee I ever asked for was $30.00 if I got pulled out of bed in the middle of the night.

DF.

[FRQ Charlie Bravo]

While we're on the topic of refuelling out Woop Woop, I have to say that I've been pretty annoyed a few time when I've used either a Shell or Mobil carnet card well within their respective periods of validity just to have it declined because of a system upgrade! WTF? Would it have been so hard for a multi-national oil company to sponsor a system which would allow for correlation between an established system and a new you beaut system?

FRQ CB

PS What the? Do we now have to use numbers to spell "Christ" as in "fer Christs sake"? Hmm, OK. Obviously not.

[CharlieLimaX-Ray]

Talking of refueller's what ever happen to Mick lazybones at Mobil Launceston many years ago.

That bloke would moan if he was getting one, he was always on a break or busy.