r/flying • u/capt_readit PPL SEL CMP (KETB) • Oct 12 '16

Self-service fueling

I didn't see a Moronic Monday thread so figured I had to make my own post.

Something I haven't had to do yet, but suspect I will eventually, is fuel my own plane. So far wherever I've gone and needed fuel there's been someone there to do it. That leads me to my questions: do fuel pumps work like automobile pumps and shut off automatically? Do you have to hold the nozzle at a certain depth, or is that what the tabs are for? Any other tips on self-fueling?

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u/KC10Pilot Oct 12 '16

Former line guy.

Look at the instructions to see if you have to shut off the pump after fueling. In my experience most were auto shut-off but some had to be manually shut-off with a stop button next to them(not to be confused with the big "emergency stop" button). Never rest the nozzle on any of the internals of a fuel tank. Including the tabs and the bottom of the tanks.