Backcountry Pilot

[Juan80 offline]

What does a pilot do about static discharge from a portable gas container? A jerry-can is metal yet the new (speed jugs) sold at the dirt bike store are plastic. Any thots , C

[hotrod180 offline]

I don't live in static-y country (pacific north-wet) but I've been fueling my airplanes from 5 gallon plastic jugs for about 12 years now with no problem. Maybe it's just that God looks after fools and babies, I don't know.

[Zzz]

http://www.backcountrypilot.org/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=887

[Juan80 offline]

Thanks for the link,next time i will go into the archives before i open my big mouth. Good subject tho.

[Zzz]

Thanks for the link,next time i will go into the archives before i open my big mouth. Good subject tho.

Yeah, and after all those pages no clear answer other than stick to metal cans or just cross your fingers and wear nomex.

Welcome to the site.

[Kenny Chapman offline]

DON'T wear Nomex while fueling. A Nomex suit is one of the biggest static electricity generaters there is. The Army did a study on the subject but I'm too lazy to Google it.

[hotrod180 offline]

Only safe way to do it is to wearjust your birthday suit.
(like I said, God looks after fools and babies!)

[GroundLooper offline]

I don't live in static-y country (pacific north-wet) but I've been fueling my airplanes from 5 gallon plastic jugs for about 12 years now with no problem. Maybe it's just that God looks after fools and babies, I don't know.

And Then

Only safe way to do it is to wearjust your birthday suit.
(like I said, God looks after fools and babies!)

Sounds like they're pretty lax about clothing rules at your airport.

[wannabe offline]

I spent several years hand filling my old Piper J5, and never thought much about it. Flew it all the way to Anchorage and back and had to fill up along the way, in some interesting places, using 2-1/2 gal. plastic gas cans that fit under the knees of the person in the rear seat. Relatively small size of the cans probably save our butts, they were probably empty quicker than they could develop a charge.
Did not think much of it till a couple of years ago while rebuilding my current 170 at / in Vern Millers hanger. He immediately set me straight. Vern told the story of a fire caused by static while hand fueling inside another hanger at the north end of Reid Hillview airport in south San Jose area. They were using five and six gallon cans.
SO, I made up a simple flexible wire jumper with medium sized a alligator clip on each end. I just clip one end to the can and one end to the airplane tank, now both are at the same electrical potential.
I now keep that two foot jumper cable in my planes tool bag.

[Zzz]

SO, I made up a simple flexible wire jumper with medium sized a alligator clip on each end. I just clip one end to the can and one end to the airplane tank, now both are at the same electrical potential.

Didn't we determine in that other thread that this is not a solution, due to the nature of static electricity?

[hotrod180 offline]

.........Sounds like they're pretty lax about clothing rules at your airport.

We're lax on all rules, at least as far as I'm concerned. "Rules? We don't need to steenking rules" about sums it up.

Eric

[qmdv offline]

I do not think that I will ever have enough time to reread that static thread. In 20 words or less I would like the experts on this subject to give us the hot skinny on how they fill up from 5 gallon cans in the most staticy areas.

No theory please and if necessary you can go to 50 words. Sorry about the word count limitations but I jsut got off Jurry duty. (defendant goes to the big house).

I still think that steal cans grounded to plane with syphen hose is a good way to go.

Tim

[GumpAir offline]

In 20 words or less I would like the experts on this subject to give us the hot skinny on how they fill up from 5 gallon cans in the most staticy areas. No theory please and if necessary you can go to 50 words.

Over-insure airplane. Ex-wife fuels from plastic can wearing nylon slip fresh out of dryer. On shag carpet.

Did I make it in 20 words????

Gump

[qmdv offline]

Good Job Gump. Looking forward to meeting you somtime

Tim

[a64pilot offline]

If the plane were grounded, wouldn't the container discharge any static if it were placed on the wing if it were a metal wing?

[mr scout offline]

The problem is the static builds on the surface of a plastic jug. Inside or outside.

Grounds don't do much on a self insulator.

The larger amount of fluid you can dump the less static, small pour or drip large static builders.

[mtv offline]

Yup to Scout. See--I did it in three words...

Mike

[a64pilot offline]

So if you siphoned and had the discharge hose under the level of the fuel in the tank, would that prevent static build up or at least safely discharge it?
My sudden interest is now I have an airplane that can burn Mogas.

[Zzz]

To supplement Mr Scout -- The main problem is that plastic (insulator) simply cannot discharge reliably or predictably, with or without ground wire, like metal (conductor) containers can.

[Fisherman offline]

I spent several years hand filling my old Piper J5, and never thought much about it. Flew it all the way to Anchorage and back and had to fill up along the way, in some interesting places, using 2-1/2 gal. plastic gas cans that fit under the knees of the person in the rear seat. Relatively small size of the cans probably save our butts, they were probably empty quicker than they could develop a charge.
Did not think much of it till a couple of years ago while rebuilding my current 170 at / in Vern Millers hanger. He immediately set me straight. Vern told the story of a fire caused by static while hand fueling inside another hanger at the north end of Reid Hillview airport in south San Jose area. They were using five and six gallon cans.
SO, I made up a simple flexible wire jumper with medium sized a alligator clip on each end. I just clip one end to the can and one end to the airplane tank, now both are at the same electrical potential.
I now keep that two foot jumper cable in my planes tool bag.

That's an excellent idea! In fact you could use it if you landed at an out of the way airport and their static wire is missing. Just clip it to the pump nozzle.