Fuel Grounding on water

Highlander99 · Post by **Highlander99** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 3:22 pm

Does a float plane tied up to a dock on the water need to have a grounding wire attached to it from a fuel tank that sits on rubber tires on the shore?

Reasons for your answers would be good. Thanx

Mitch Cronin · Post by **Mitch Cronin** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 3:36 pm

I'd say Yes.

Reason for that answer: I reckon the potential difference between the static charge of the truck and that of the airplane is the issue in that case...

I'm eager to hear of that's right... just for interest sake... I'm not likely to ever be in that position.

hazatude · Post by **hazatude** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 3:45 pm

Yes because Air BP says so.

bigsky · Post by **bigsky** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 3:51 pm

So does TC

http://www.tc.gc.ca/CivilAviation/comme ... ction2.htm

When transfering fuel from any type of vessel into another vessel one should ensure that the into and out of vessels are bonded to each other. I have heard of static electricity being generated when pouring fuel from a plastic jerry can into a metal can. Once a fluid is set in motion the motion will build up a static charge. The only way to ensure that there is no rapid dissipation of the static charge ( i.e. a spark) is to bond one vessel to another.

hazatude · Post by **hazatude** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 3:56 pm

Plastic is a real twat when it comes to generating static. NEVER use a plastic bristled brrom to sweep up a fuel spill.

Mitch Cronin · Post by **Mitch Cronin** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 4:12 pm

Haz... I know we're lax with language here... but that's so far into the "offensive to some" that even I can't help but whince... please edit....?

hazatude · Post by **hazatude** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 5:07 pm

I'm sorry. I forgot which forum I was in

Mitch Cronin · Post by **Mitch Cronin** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 5:43 pm

AntiNakedMan · Post by **AntiNakedMan** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 7:06 pm

I was taking an Egress course not to long ago (good idea I say... DO IT), and we briefly touched on static buildup for float planes.

The instructor said the best way to prevent a static buildup in plastic cans is to dip the bottoms of them in the water prior to fueling.

Anti

skycoupe · Post by **skycoupe** » Tue Jun 06, 2006 8:53 pm

My 2 cents
The reason that you bond a wheel aircraft to a fuel truck is that they are both individually insulated from eachother due to the rubber on the ground.
In regards to a floatplane, the aircraft is grounded to earth, and 99.9 % of fuel tanks are grounded to earth as well, so there is no potential to develop a difference in potential (pardon the pun)

spafloats · Post by **spafloats** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 5:44 am

Believe it or not, fresh water is an insulator. Seaplanes should be bonded with the fueling source with bonding cable. If you are using a funnel it should be either of metal construction or one that is a plastic conducting type (see Mr. Funnel, they make a number of different sizes).

Remember that a lot of the hoses used for aviation fueling do not have a bonding wire built into the hose, automotive ones used in gas stations do. That is why there is a seperate bonding cable when you fuel an aircraft.

Be especially careful if you are fueling while tied to a Jetfloat dock, the static on these is a real eye opener!!

Spafloats

Jungle Jim · Post by **Jungle Jim** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 6:30 am

The static charge occurs on the surface of the gasoline within the can. Dipping the gas can into the water will not do anything unless it is made of conductive plastic. Like wise trying to bond the outside of the can with metal cables tied to the handle will not disipate the charge. The bonding has to actually touch the liquid to disipate the charge.

trey kule · Post by **trey kule** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 11:50 am

Ground them.

Why. a. It takes but a few seconds.
and b. Grounding is the best solution if you are not 100% sure of the answer.

Hard to understand why anyone would take any sort of chance for a few seconds work.

Vortex_driver · Post by **Vortex_driver** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 2:41 pm

never did such thing, so does any operators
Even TC didn't bother for that, when they fueled their floatplane at our dock.
A floatplane sitting in the water is grounded. Of course if your tank is sitting on tires, your tank may have a pottential, so make sur to ground it. Another good precaution is to touch your fuel cap with the hose before starting.

I think that the CAR state that you are suppose to have an efficient way of dissipating the charge, or something like that...

I read once that a wire will dissipate one sort of static that the water won't... But it's a long time ago, and I can't find it and can't recall exactly what it was...

Of course, if you have the possibility of doing it, than why wouldn't you do it, like the other fellow said, it only takes a few sec!!! but the only dock I've seen equiped with such thing was the one of my flying school...

wrenchturner · Post by **wrenchturner** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 5:12 pm

hazatude wrote:Plastic is a real twat when it comes to generating static. NEVER use a plastic bristled brrom to sweep up a fuel spill.

sounds like experience talking. care to embellish??

hazatude · Post by **hazatude** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 5:14 pm

No story there. I just have shares in the corn-broom industry

tripleseven · Post by **tripleseven** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 8:07 pm

All I ever did was touch the fuel nozzle to the wing before I opened the tank cap. The floats should be grounded to the water. Only pure water is an insulator. Lake water should easily have enough impuriites to allow it to conduct electricity. Never lost my eyebrows using this method.

spafloats · Post by **spafloats** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 9:03 am

Have a look at the National Fire Protection Association`s bulletin #407 (Aircraft Fuel Servicing) and #77 (Static Electicity) for some helpful insight.

Also, have a look at Scepter Plastics website for info. on Gas Transit containers that are spec`d for carrying fuel on board an aircraft.

Spafloats

BlueSkies12 · Post by **BlueSkies12** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 10:36 am

I've seen alot of planes fueled with jet and 100LL, none of them were ever grounded. That was all at the same dock though, and up north. Hmmmm

N2 · Post by N2 » Thu Jun 08, 2006 6:32 pm

Wanna try something neat, fill a test tube a quater full with gas and equal parts of diesel fuel. Go into a dark room and shake...doing a safety course on handling different fuels opened my eyes to this danger.

Fuel Grounding on water

Fuel Grounding on water

Bondind while fueling a seaplane

Seaplane grounding and bonding