Originally Posted by
chewing4gum
Happy New Year!
Is it still possible for an aircraft to become statically charged during refueling?
The fuel pistol is itself grounded via a ground cable/shield/conductive rubber in the fuel tube and the fuel pistol is in contact with the airframe.
Once the pistol has been put in the aricraft is effectively grounded. However that is the riskiest moment as a spark may be generated right in the most dangerous place where fuel vapor and air oxygen are nicely mixed.
The airframe may get charged if the pistol is not in contact with the airframe and the fuel is poured in the tank due to some triboelectric effect.
When does this charge dissipate? On the Ground?
The charge and potential is equalized between the airframe and the ground.