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Date: Fri, 13 Nov 1998 13:48:19 -0600
From: Snowbird <snbird@ibm.net>
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Subject: Re: Visually checking fuel EVERY TIME in preflight?
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Tony Shen wrote:

> I'm just curious that if people in this NG really "visually" check 
> the fuel EVERYTIME when you do your preflight?

You bet I do.  Not only do I visually check the fuel every time,
if I'm flying but my husband does the preflight I check the fuel
level and the oil for myself.  This paranoid advice given to me
by my first flight instructor.  Two heads are better than one unless
the second neglects to put the fuel cap on straight.  It's my butt
in the plane and my ticket.

> I mean it didn't really bother me, but it seems
> a little bit rediculous to me especially when the FBO told you that 
> they just filled up the fuel tank and you notice that the tank is 
> dripping... in such case do you still climb up to C-150 and check the > fuel tank?

What if they filled the plane with contaminated fuel which looks 
like a milky emulsion?  What if they put fuel in, but didn't fill 
it, and the fuel vent is leaking for some other reason (like a leak)?
What if they didn't put the fuel cap on correctly?

A C150 is so easy to check there's no reason not to; bigger Cessnas,
C182 and stuff, I still check even if it means hunting for a ladder or
watching a row of CFIs fall over laughing while it takes my bum knee
several jumps to get me up on the step to check.

> In pratical test, *if* I forgot to visually check the fuel tank, 
> would I fail the test immediately?

I don't know, but when fuel exhaustion/fuel contamination are two
numerically large causes of accidents, why would you even think 
about omitting this simple and easy to do precaution?

Snowbird


