If you should go flying in the USA in the future, you'd better be aware of this...(From 'Aircraft Maintenance' June issue)
While pilots are often accused of cutting corners when it comes to
pre-flighting an airplane, there's one step that almost never gets
skipped: sumping the tanks. The penalties for missing this one are
just too great. And in a growing number of locations, the penalty for
doing it can be pretty big, too. Just ask the people at Embry-Riddle
Aeronautical University's flight operation in Daytona Beach, Florida.
"The standard practice of sumping a fuel tank and tossing the sample
in the air can get you two, possibly three EPA [Environmental
Protection Agency] violations," explained Jack Haun, director of
aircraft maintenance for Embry-Riddle. "One, throwing the fuel sample
contaminates the air. Two, when it hits the ground, that's another
violation, even if the tarmac is treated. The problem is residue run-
off into the ground water. And three, there's another violation if
the fuel sample contacts unprotected skin." Aviation gasoline, it
should be noted, contains tetraethyl lead and is a source of lead
contamination in the environment
...better not tell the UK Environment Agency about that one!!
