This is one rule that I believe is grounded in common sense.

Yep, there's always an example of some catastrophe that happened somewhere
that should make every civilized convenience illegal.

Iowa City is the oldest airport west of the Mississippi still in its
original location. The FBO has fueled aircraft in T-hangars (with the big
door open, of course) since before World War II, by my estimation, without
mishap. It's called "service", and yes, it's a pain in the butt to go to
the hangars, raise the door, and fuel the planes -- but thank God our FBO
hasn't yet used "safety" and "liability" as an excuse to be lazy, as so many
other businesses have.

Is there a slight risk to fueling in an unheated, outdoor hangar with the
big door open? I don't know -- but if you use a grounding strap/cord, and
you use approved fueling techniques and equipment, and you pump the fuel
from a professional-grade tank/pump, can you even *measure* a risk that
small? Has any aircraft self-immolated while being properly fueled? Has
any car?

I grow weary of this country wringing its hands over crap like this, while
the real issues of the day aren't even discussed.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"