Is this the death of GA

"Jay Honeck" wrote in
news:9Gpwj.48454$9j6.9828@attbi_s22:

I never dug deep to find out why. I can only suppose they didn't
want to lose an airplane AND a building.

That's the rule here, too. We can have it parked right in front of
the hangar but no part of the airplane can be across the door
threshold. I assume it is for the reason you state.

Our FBO routinely fuels owner's aircraft in their hangars. Always
has.


He must be some sort of sky god.



Ten years ago, when we first moved into a hangar, we would return from
a flight, put the plane away, and flip a little red flapper up on the
door. Next time we came to the airport, the flapper was down, the
plane was fully fueled, and we'd get a bill at the end of the month.
God, I miss those days...

I think gas was, like, $1.74 per gallon -- and we bitched about it!


You'd bitch about it if it were free.


Bertie

On 2008-02-25, Jay Honeck wrote:
I think gas was, like, $1.74 per gallon -- and we bitched about it!

Yeah. I remember bitching because it cost $8 to fill the tank on my first
car, a 1967 Cadillac Calais, with premium gas.

Where's my cane?
--
Jay Maynard, K5ZC http://www.conmicro.com
http://jmaynard.livejournal.com http://www.tronguy.net
http://www.hercules-390.org (Yes, that's me!)
Buy Hercules stuff at http://www.cafepress.com/hercules-390

Jay Honeck wrote:
I never dug deep to find out why. I can only suppose they didn't want
to lose an airplane AND a building.

That's the rule here, too. We can have it parked right in front of the
hangar but no part of the airplane can be across the door threshold. I
assume it is for the reason you state.

Our FBO routinely fuels owner's aircraft in their hangars. Always has.

Ten years ago, when we first moved into a hangar, we would return from a
flight, put the plane away, and flip a little red flapper up on the
door. Next time we came to the airport, the flapper was down, the plane
was fully fueled, and we'd get a bill at the end of the month. God, I
miss those days...

I think gas was, like, $1.74 per gallon -- and we bitched about it!

ELM, which is only 30 or so miles from where I live, lost a maintenance
hangar, 4 airplanes and lots of tools and spare parts due to a fueling
accident with an airplane inside the hangar. With the fuel spreading
across the floor, once it was ignited the hangar went up almost
instantly. Nobody was seriously injured, but even with the airport fire
department literally next door, the hangar was a total loss.

This is one rule that I believe is grounded in common sense.

Matt

Jay Honeck writes:

Ten years ago, when we first moved into a hangar, we would return from a
flight, put the plane away, and flip a little red flapper up on the door.
Next time we came to the airport, the flapper was down, the plane was fully
fueled, and we'd get a bill at the end of the month. God, I miss those
days...

How does it work now?

In article 9Gpwj.48454$9j6.9828@attbi_s22, says...


I never dug deep to find out why. I can only suppose they didn't want
to lose an airplane AND a building.

That's the rule here, too. We can have it parked right in front of the
hangar but no part of the airplane can be across the door threshold. I
assume it is for the reason you state.

Our FBO routinely fuels owner's aircraft in their hangars. Always has.

Ten years ago, when we first moved into a hangar, we would return from a
flight, put the plane away, and flip a little red flapper up on the door.
Next time we came to the airport, the flapper was down, the plane was fully
fueled, and we'd get a bill at the end of the month. God, I miss those
days...



Those days still exist in many places.
Often you will leave the FBO to find your prop aligned horizontally -
indicating the tanks are full. And yes, you can be certain to receive a bill.

I have always been astonished that we allow linemen and fuel salespeople to
usurp our responsibility as pilot in command. As a student, you cannot take
yourself, your instructor and full fuel in a C-152 without being significantly
over gross. Later, as a private pilot, the lineman has no way of knowing you
intend to take your entire family in the 172 to a destination just 200 nm away
- something you cannot do with full fuel, but which you can easily do with a
bit less dead weight. The further you progress up the ladder, the more
important this management becomes.

Fuel management is the ultimate responsibility of the PIC. You may have a
personal understanding with your FBO or whatever, and they may know your
personal habits - as long as you scrupulously check behind them this is fine.
But as a general rule, having trucks driving around an airport pouring their
expensive product into aircraft unable to carry the weight under some mission
statements is not compatible with sound management and safety practices.