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by Friday Morning Flight Plan at [date]
I was a few hours past solo when it occurred to me that my instructor hadn’t shown me how to refuel my Skyhawk yet. When I asked about it, his response was, “I’ve never refueled an airplane.”
At the time, I was aghast. However, today I know he was far from alone in being a pilot with advanced ratings who had never pulled up to a self-serve pump.
Determined to learn, I checked the POH for the refueling procedures I had clearly missed previously. It should be in Section 4, Normal Procedures, right? Wrong.
Perhaps it’s in Section 7 where the fuel system is described in excruciating detail. Nope.
I asked a few pilot buddies when they learned to refuel their airplanes. One said it was right after they soloed, which seems reasonable to me. The other simply couldn’t remember if they’d ever been taught.
So, as a public service to private pilots, especially ones who rent and are too embarrassed to ask, here are a few pointers on refueling a Cessna 172R Skyhawk at a typical self-service fuel pump. These steps apply to most general aviation piston aircraft and most self-service avgas pumps. However, check your POH or consult the manufacturer for specifics on your aircraft.
Park your airplane near the fuel pump.
Check to ensure the wings are level, then shut the airplane off completely, including mix to cutoff, mags, and master. Set your parking brake and chocks.
Ground your airplane.
This is extremely important to avoid a static electrical spark that could light your plane on fire. Look on or around the fuel pump for a long wire or reel of wire with a clamp at the end. Attach the wire to a tie-down hook on your plane or any bare metal surface (not painted).
Check the label on the pump.
Make sure it provides the correct type of fuel for your aircraft. For a typical Skyhawk, it’ll be 100LL.
Grab your wallet.
There should be a payment console near the pump where you can insert a credit card for payment.
Ground your airplane.
Just as most checklists include checking the fuel selector switch more than once, you should check that your plane is grounded more than once as well.
Position a ladder next to the wing.
For high-wing airplanes, you’ll want to use a ladder to reach the fuel caps instead of the tiny step you normally use during preflight inspection.
Switch the pump on.
You’ll have to push a button or turn a knob to enable the pump. It’s analogous to lifting the handle on a gas pump when you’re filling your Ford.
Pull the hose out.
Holding the hand pump in one hand and the hose in the other, drag the rather bulky hose straight out, being sure it doesn’t go directly under or over your airplane. If able, pull it out at least six feet farther than is needed to reach the farthest fuel cap on your airplane.
Ground your airplane.
Third time’s the charm. Make sure you got this done before fueling.
Uncap your fuel tank, place the fuel nozzle in the tank, and pull the handle to begin fueling. Note that this gas pump won’t stop automatically when the tank is full, so you’ll need to watch carefully to avoid spilling over. It is advisable to use a handheld fuel gauge calibrated for your airplane make, model, and modifications to verify how many gallons of fuel are in the tank.
Replace the fuel cap securely.
If applicable, ensure that you twist it on until the handle is parallel with the fuselage.
Repeat for the other wing tank.
When you are done refueling…
Carry the handle of the hose back to the pump. Reel the hose back onto its storage spool. There’s usually a button nearby that turns on a motor to assist with this.
Turn the pump off
If it has not already turned off automatically.
Remove the grounding wire from your airplane.
Put it back where you found it, usually on its own spool.
Test your fuel at all sumps
To be sure you added uncontaminated fuel.
That’s it! You can grab your receipt and get back in the air.
Scanning the steps above makes it seem more complicated than it actually is, but you will find that after doing it once or twice, you’ll have the procedure down cold.