Carriage of fuel regulations
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 163
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From: Where you left me.
Carriage of fuel regulations
Hi all,
I'll be following this up with the CAA asap but was wondering if anyone can give me a straight answer on here first. I'm a complete novice in this matter...
What are the regulations regarding the carriage of barrelled fuel in an aircraft? We have neither time nor money to install a ferry tank fit so we propose to carry fuel in barrels (or similar temporary tanks) and pump it into the tanks on the ground where avgas is not available.
If carried in a G registered aircraft, do the regulations extend further than the CAA, therefore having implications for international carriage? Or, is it UK aircraft, UK rules for the duration of the flight? (It's round the world and Russia is the problem re fuel availability - with a suggested 3 month lead time for shipping it in in advance, we have run out of time for that option too!)
Thanks in advance for any advice.
I'll be following this up with the CAA asap but was wondering if anyone can give me a straight answer on here first. I'm a complete novice in this matter...
What are the regulations regarding the carriage of barrelled fuel in an aircraft? We have neither time nor money to install a ferry tank fit so we propose to carry fuel in barrels (or similar temporary tanks) and pump it into the tanks on the ground where avgas is not available.
If carried in a G registered aircraft, do the regulations extend further than the CAA, therefore having implications for international carriage? Or, is it UK aircraft, UK rules for the duration of the flight? (It's round the world and Russia is the problem re fuel availability - with a suggested 3 month lead time for shipping it in in advance, we have run out of time for that option too!)
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 153
Likes: 0
From: Herefordshire
I once took a BN2A islander to Malaysia. We made a wooden cradle for four 45 gallon oil drums. We specified the type that has both a screw on top at the end of the drum and one in the middle on the side of the drum but opposite the cap on the end, if you know what I mean.
The cradle was made from wood and secured to the floor, the drums were strapped to the cradle. The fuel pick-off was via the cap on the end of each drum, suitably modified with an appropriate fitting. This cap was obviously positioned at the bottom so the fuel would flow. The barrels being laid on thier sides in the cradle. Thus the cap on the side of the drum was now at the top and was used to fill the drum. Get the picture?
Each drum had a bendix reciprocating fuel pump secured to the cradle and was plumbed into the crossfeed line of the main wing tanks. The operating switches were secured at the pilots end of the whole rig, just behind the pilots seat. Obviously a suitable C/B protected power supply was conncted.
As the aircraft was British registered the whole contraption had to be approved by the CAA as a modification, and the local surveyor came down to inspect the device.
It was approved and off we went.
I don't know what you have in mind but you might find that there is already something out there for your aircraft, already approved. Talk to your local authority, they might be able to help.
The cradle was made from wood and secured to the floor, the drums were strapped to the cradle. The fuel pick-off was via the cap on the end of each drum, suitably modified with an appropriate fitting. This cap was obviously positioned at the bottom so the fuel would flow. The barrels being laid on thier sides in the cradle. Thus the cap on the side of the drum was now at the top and was used to fill the drum. Get the picture?
Each drum had a bendix reciprocating fuel pump secured to the cradle and was plumbed into the crossfeed line of the main wing tanks. The operating switches were secured at the pilots end of the whole rig, just behind the pilots seat. Obviously a suitable C/B protected power supply was conncted.
As the aircraft was British registered the whole contraption had to be approved by the CAA as a modification, and the local surveyor came down to inspect the device.
It was approved and off we went.
I don't know what you have in mind but you might find that there is already something out there for your aircraft, already approved. Talk to your local authority, they might be able to help.
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 163
Likes: 0
From: Where you left me.
Thanks for that, very interesting.
Our fuel situation is still a bit up in the air. As it happens, I'm glad we haven't contracted anyone to build/install any tanks of any description, as the company who were supplying the aircraft for this charity venture, free of charge, have now told us that we cannot have the aircraft until the day before the flight. Previous understanding was that we would have it well in advance, so that we might do promotional stops at airshows etc, not to mention the obvious preparation that would be required prior to leaving.
It now seems obtaining fuel in Russia is the biggest problem we have. It's so big, in fact, with such enormous expense involved in purchasing avgas from obviously financially corrupt agents in Russia, that we are on the verge of binning the round-the-world idea and going to Australia and back instead, without crossing to the States.
Our fuel situation is still a bit up in the air. As it happens, I'm glad we haven't contracted anyone to build/install any tanks of any description, as the company who were supplying the aircraft for this charity venture, free of charge, have now told us that we cannot have the aircraft until the day before the flight. Previous understanding was that we would have it well in advance, so that we might do promotional stops at airshows etc, not to mention the obvious preparation that would be required prior to leaving.
It now seems obtaining fuel in Russia is the biggest problem we have. It's so big, in fact, with such enormous expense involved in purchasing avgas from obviously financially corrupt agents in Russia, that we are on the verge of binning the round-the-world idea and going to Australia and back instead, without crossing to the States.
