Refuel after or before a flight?

[Jetset320]

During initial training, it was always hammered into us not leave fuel tanks empty for a long time, for example overnight.

Is this valid also for the big jets or only for Piston/Avgas aircraft. Are some jet aircraft types more susceptible than others to water contamination?

[Piltdown Man]

Not in commercial airliners unless you have a "standard uplift" figure. Each ton of fuel is roughly ten passengers and hauling around excess fuel is expensive. Therefore we spend most of lives on minimum fuel (plus a small margin!). Most trips (Short-haul) are done with third to half full tanks. The fuel for each sector is loaded just before flight unless you have the possibility for round-tripping for economic reasons - payload permitting. But come crap weather, we fill the buggers up (or make our minds up quickly about a diversion).

Hope this helps.

[Jetset320]

Thanks Piltdown man. More precicely my question is: Do airlines add the required amount of fuel for the morning flight after the last flight of the day (say 8 pm) or leave the aircraft 'empty' overnight and add the next required fuel load an hour before the morning flight?

Additionally, what would you do if you (and the plane) were stopping for a couple of days outstation on a charter; would you fuel on arrival outstation, or fuel a couple of days later?

[BOAC]

Jetset - normally left 'empty' since route/payload/winds/weather are not always known in detail, and calling the bowser in the morning for 300kg is an expensive exercise. Sometimes airlines will have a 'minimum' route fuel load and will fill to that, to reduce time in the morning or to help hold down in strong winds, leaving a 'reasonable' uplift for the morning bowser. However, it is not unknown for the route for an aircraft to 'change' overnight eg planned LHR-FCO, actually flies LHR-JER, so the potential for mistakes are there!