Temporarily removing fuel and replacing it into the same aircraft

El Maximo wrote:
FWIW, I found the best way to de-fuel my plane is through the carb.
Unfortunately, it renders the fuel unusable, but it's alot of fun.


"B A R R Y" wrote in message
news

Thanks for all the GREAT info!



That took me a second reading to understand. That's great and I agree.

--

Regards, Ross
C-172F 180HP
KSWI

On Jul 24, 11:55 am, wrote:
In rec.aviation.owning Stealth Pilot wrote:
: when you do it make sure you have an earth connection between the
: aircraft and the container. this can be as simple as a piece of fence
: wire in the container touching the aircraft so as to bleed static
: differences between the two. more elaborate would be a piece of
: automotive wire with a crocodile clip on each end clipped between the
: aircraft and the container.
: with static taken care of you worst problem is spillage.

: when you have the time go and get a copy of the regs and read them
: yourself. it isnt difficult to understand them and you will have in
: your memory an authoritative picture of them. the world gets easier
: after that.

: when you put the fuel back into the aircraft just pour it through a
: funnel with a micromesh filter in it, they are as cheap as chips in
: discount automotive shops and they exclude crud and water.

: Stealth Pilot

My setup for doing this is the same as what I use to haul cargas to the airport for my plane. I
use a few plastic, 6-gallon cans. To minimize the risk of contamination (from bad service station fuel
with sludge, water, stuff in the cans, etc), I rigged a water-absorbing spin-on fuel filter with a
pour-spout that will screw into the can. Then I just move the filtering pour spout from one can to the
other as I dump it in.

I minimize the electrical arcing risk by *ALWAYS* touching the filtering pour spout (which is
metal BTW) with one hand while I touch the wing with my other some distance away from the fuel tank
filler neck. Then while tipping the can into the neck, I maintain grounding with my fingers until the
metal spout makes contact with the plane. Sounds complicated, but it's not... prevents the possibility
of arcing where it counts (at the filler neck) even with plastic fuel containers.

I've never found any crude in sumping the tanks since I started using the filter 4 years ago.
Before then there was always a bit of water and the occasional bits of particles from the cargas.
Defueling and refueling just means one more trip through the filtering pour spout.

-Cory

--

************************************************** ***********************
* Cory Papenfuss, Ph.D., PPSEL-IA *
* Electrical Engineering *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
************************************************** ***********************

I've never had to off-load fuel but just in case....

For plastic containers (with plastic spouts) and a plastic siphon hose
from the wing tank to the container which is sitting on the tarmac,
what's the best way to ground and avoid static build up?

--Jeff

JB wrote:

For plastic containers (with plastic spouts) and a plastic siphon hose
from the wing tank to the container which is sitting on the tarmac,
what's the best way to ground and avoid static build up?



It's plastic, there's nothing you can do but hope.

On Wed, 25 Jul 2007 08:02:54 -0600, Newps wrote:

JB wrote:

For plastic containers (with plastic spouts) and a plastic siphon hose
from the wing tank to the container which is sitting on the tarmac,
what's the best way to ground and avoid static build up?



It's plastic, there's nothing you can do but hope.

It might help to run some sash chain through the hose with enough left
over to pile up in the wing tank and storage tank. Knot the chain to
prevent it from pulling thorugh the hose.

Sash chain: That flattish chain people with old fashioned windows use
between the window sash and the sash wieghts.

Don

Don Tuite wrote:

It might help to run some sash chain through the hose with enough left
over to pile up in the wing tank and storage tank. Knot the chain to
prevent it from pulling thorugh the hose.

Exactly.

Ground wire, as accompanies every fuel dock and truck, works just as well.

"B A R R Y" wrote in message
. net...
Don Tuite wrote:

It might help to run some sash chain through the hose with enough left
over to pile up in the wing tank and storage tank. Knot the chain to
prevent it from pulling thorugh the hose.

Exactly.

Ground wire, as accompanies every fuel dock and truck, works just as well.

If you didn't go with a continuous wire, wouldn't you be gambling on a
possible arc between links?

I know hoses sold for fuel transfer have metal fittings on each end, and
they are bonded to a coil spring in the rubber hose.

Maxwell wrote:

If you didn't go with a continuous wire, wouldn't you be gambling on a
possible arc between links?

The sash chain I'm familiar with has small, very tight links. It's
almost like an extra flexible bicycle chain. Personally, I use a wire,
because I have it.

As for the chain, you have a point, but I'd have to think conditions
would have to be so perfect...

In article ,
B A R R Y wrote:

Maxwell wrote:

If you didn't go with a continuous wire, wouldn't you be gambling on a
possible arc between links?

The sash chain I'm familiar with has small, very tight links. It's
almost like an extra flexible bicycle chain. Personally, I use a wire,
because I have it.

As for the chain, you have a point, but I'd have to think conditions
would have to be so perfect...

Chains are often used for grounding, I think in part because they are so
flexible. Wire tends to curl and kink. It's easy to imagine scenarios
where a wire develops a kink which keeps it from making contact with what
it's supposed to be touching.

I'm thinking of things like chains hanging from the bottom of fuel trucks,
with the end dangling on the road surface. This is an application where
gravity provides the contact force. Where you've got clamps to make the
contact, it's probably less of an issue.

"pgbnh" wrote:
"Al G" wrote...
"B A R R Y" wrote...

2.) I want to calibrate a fuel dipstick, so I remove a gallon at a
time while taking readings. After I read the tank, I return the
fuel to the tank.

I've been told this is a violation. The person who tells me this
can't cite a FAR, and I can't find one in my own search.

I hope it is not a violation, I've had to do this at remote
mountain
airstrips
for years. I have seen tanks calibrated(Sticks & Gauges) in an
approved shop.

Greater likelihood is that you may be violating an AIRPORT rule. If
your field does not permit self-fueling, then the activity you note
would probably be considered a violation. But FAR's???? Naahh !

Fly it to a remote strip and do as you wish, but follow the antistatic
procedures others have mentioned...

On Tue, 31 Jul 2007 13:55:49 GMT, Darrel Toepfer
wrote:

"pgbnh" wrote:
"Al G" wrote...
"B A R R Y" wrote...

2.) I want to calibrate a fuel dipstick, so I remove a gallon at a
time while taking readings. After I read the tank, I return the
fuel to the tank.

I've been told this is a violation. The person who tells me this
can't cite a FAR, and I can't find one in my own search.

I hope it is not a violation, I've had to do this at remote
mountain
airstrips
for years. I have seen tanks calibrated(Sticks & Gauges) in an
approved shop.

Greater likelihood is that you may be violating an AIRPORT rule. If
your field does not permit self-fueling, then the activity you note
would probably be considered a violation. But FAR's???? Naahh !

Check those airport rules, but when I had the Deb weighed for a new
W&B (old airplanes like old pilots tend to gain weight) they drained
the tanks. (it was down to about 60 gallons) and then put it back
along with enough to top off *all* tanks.

If it's a violation that was a mighty big company doing the violating.

Fly it to a remote strip and do as you wish, but follow the antistatic
procedures others have mentioned...