✈️ Aviation Brief — Issue #78
Weekly insights for student pilots and the instructors who train them.
THIS WEEK'S TOPIC
CA.II.D — Fueling (Commercial Pilot ACS)
1. ACS STANDARDS SUMMARY
The Commercial Pilot ACS (CA.II.D) requires the applicant to demonstrate knowledge of aircraft fueling procedures. This includes selecting the correct fuel grade and type, preventing contamination, using proper safety precautions (bonding, fire risk mitigation), verifying fuel quantity and caps after servicing, and explaining the effects of different fuels or additives. The examiner expects a practical explanation of how the pilot would ensure the aircraft receives uncontaminated, correct fuel in a real-world scenario.
2. THREE COMMON STUDENT MISTAKES
- Failing to sump all fuel drains adequately after fueling, often stopping after one or two quick samples instead of checking each tank until the fuel runs clear and is free of water or sediment.
- Not confirming the fuel grade and supplier before the truck arrives or the pump is used, leading to assumptions that the FBO “always has the right fuel.”
- Skipping the bonding cable or leaving fuel caps unsecured after servicing, then rushing through the rest of the preflight.
3. CFI PRO TIP
Have the student physically stand at the wing with the fuel strainer in hand while you supervise the first few fuelings. Require them to take and smell a sample from every drain immediately after the truck leaves. This simple sequence creates a repeatable habit that catches both contamination and the occasional wrong-grade fuel before the engine is started.
4. SAFETY SPOTLIGHT
NTSB reports and ASRS submissions continue to show engine failures after fueling from improperly labeled or contaminated sources (most often water or Jet A in avgas tanks). A recurring pattern involves pilots who accepted fuel without verifying the truck’s placard or who skipped post-fueling fuel samples because “the tanks were already full.”
5. DID YOU KNOW
Avgas expands roughly 1 % for every 15 °F temperature increase, so filling the tanks to the very brim on a cool morning can result in overflow once the aircraft sits in the sun.
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