PSA - Please check your fuel before calling for a top off.

Posted by Thunderbolt_78@reddit | flying | View on Reddit | 104 comments

I work at an FBO that services two flight schools. One of my job responsibilities includes performing Avgas fuelings for their aircraft. On nicer days, the flight schools are obviously in full swing and calling for fuel every few minutes. A pattern I am noticing is that some of these instructors will clearly not check their fuel before calling for top offs. I literally had a fueling where I put 0.3 gallons back in. The Pipers aren’t so bad, but it’s annoying when the Cessnas do this since you have to get the ladder to reach the caps, all of which takes time as more fuelings pile up.

We are understaffed, so there is only one person on Avgas during a shift. When there’s only one truck going around and there are 10+ aircraft in the queue, it piles up and gets tedious to waste time putting only a gallon back in to top them off when the next guy takes 15-20+ gallons and obviously needs it more.

The moral of the story is to please check your remaining fuel before calling for a top off.