Fuel rules
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Australia
Posts: 344
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Fuel rules
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
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
probably not the highest paid worker in the region
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.
4. All refuellers get up at 2am and serve Emergency Services without complaint.
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.)
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Australia
Posts: 344
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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
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
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Alabama, then Wyoming, then Idaho and now staying with Kharon on Styx houseboat
Age: 61
Posts: 1,437
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Locations that spring to mind where I have been looked after with excellent service are Charleville, Mount Isa, Longreach, Moree, Dubbo and so forth.
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
Happy easter flying
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
Happy easter flying
But he is making twice what the pilot is.
1. Always ring ahead and make arrangements for your refuel.
DF.
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Hiding between the Animal Bar and the Suave Bar
Posts: 409
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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.
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.
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: ˙ǝqɐq ǝɯ ʇ,uıɐ ʇɐɥʇ 'sɔıʇɐqoɹǝɐ ɹoɟ uʍop ǝpısdn ǝɯɐu ɹıǝɥʇ ʇnd ǝɯos
Age: 45
Posts: 715
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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
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
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: OZ
Posts: 29
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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.
Man Bilong Balus long PNG
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Looking forward to returning to Japan soon but in the meantime continuing the never ending search for a bad bottle of Red!
Age: 69
Posts: 2,973
Received 97 Likes
on
56 Posts
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.
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: I prefer to remain north of a direct line BNE-ADL
Age: 49
Posts: 1,286
Likes: 0
Received 33 Likes
on
10 Posts
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!
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Alabama, then Wyoming, then Idaho and now staying with Kharon on Styx houseboat
Age: 61
Posts: 1,437
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
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!
And they did'nt even bring you any fruitcake or minties either, did they DF?
DF.
On call 24/7 would really suck surely there would be a refuellers roster
DF.
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?
DF.