Hi mate. Did the job for 7 years at both Luton and Birmingham. First thing i will say it is the best job you will ever do. Firstly, he needs to bear in mind he will start work at anywhere between 0400 and 0500, dependant on airport, some work 24/7. First job of the day, drain 2 litres of fuel from the tanker, check it for water and fungi, BUT he will NEVER do a flush through. Did that in the Military, but not allowed in civvy street, simply because all fuel pumped has to accounted for, so if you do a 100 litre flush through it screws up the figures because it is classed as a delivery. Usual walk round checks, get the flights for the day that you are to fuel, and out you go. O, cross bulking, pumping fuel from one vehicle to another is banned by Shell, and a few other companies.
Now, Monarch agency pay less then companies, but the companies use them so in busy periods theyve got enough staff then dump em in winter, well most of em anyway.
The lowcost airlines, Easyjet and Ryan air are on 25 minute turnrounds, so he will be expected to get up to speed quite quickly, and must be able to pump 20 tons of fuel into the low cost in no more then 20 minutes, as the aircraft want to push back bang on 25 minutes. Then the long hauls like the Air India and PIA have 2 hour turn rounds but require anything upto 95 tons of fuel.
I’m not going to discuss money on here, but feel free to pm me and i will give you a run down on cash etc.
ADR is a requirement at some airports, but not all. I.E Luton and Heathrow must have it as you cross a public road to get to the aircraft. Birmingham you dont need it, although i always disputed that. Before any airport pass is issued a criminal records check will be carried out, and if it comes back with anything on, it is at the discretion of the airport ID section whether they accept it or not.
The summer season is obviously busy, at Birmingham we were pumping 2 million litres of fuel everyday, and were pushing between 18 - 20 refuels a day per fueller, and it can be incredibly hot on the ramp,and sometimes you feel like you’re running round like a headless chicken. but in winter the work drops off and we pumped between half and three quaters of a million litres a day, and it can be incredibly cold on the ramp, with no shelter on some stands.
If for example you are placed at an airport where the fuelling is done by ASIG/Shell expect H&S inspections at least once a month by head office. They may stand and watch what you’re doing, they may hide round the corner, and anything they class as dangerous or a violation of the rules will see your work there ended.
you also get to know the crews which has its advantages.
No fuelling company will permit you to fuel on your own until they are completely satisfied that you are fully competent. One thing i will stress though, shortcuts are not advised, if you decide that the fuel was ok yesterday and so you won’t bother doing ya checks today, bear in mind, that god forbid an aircraft goes in, the fueller is under investigation and not permitted to work, the vehicle is impounded, and if the fuel is the cause of the crash you will go to jail for manslaughter. sounds a bit extreme, but thats how it is.
Contaminated fuel does happen, not regulaly because of the tank checks that are done, but it does happen. Always wear the full ppe issued, some companies will instantly dismiss any staff that don’t wear it.
Can’t think of anything else. Feel free to pm me if you need any more info
95 tons, it’s amazing to think they can carry all that fuel. Any idea how much an airline would pay to take on 95tons? I have no idea but its always interested me when you consider how cheap so long haul flights can be. I flew to the US a few years ago for £250 return, it’s difficult to see how they make a profit, especially given the cost of the aircraft.
