Careless Linemen

How do the rest of you deal with careless linemen? The kind who scratch
your airplane or chip the paint because they are either careless or have not
been properly trained on how to avoid damaging aircraft when refueling 'em.

Case in point - this afternoon I stopped by the airport to prep for a trip
to the beach tomorrow. I grabbed a couple of maps and the handheld gps from
the airplane while the lineman was getting ready to fuel the airplane. By
the time I grabbed those things, the lineman had already filled the left
tank, and there was a brand spankin' new paint chip near the fuel filler on
the tank. How do I know it was brand new? Because I'd just wiped off a nice
collection of bugs from the airplane, and it wasn't chipped then... Anyway,
I eased over to see how he was coming with the other tank, and he had the
entire 10" long nozzle in the right tank and was using a notch in the fuel
nozzle's handle to catch the edge of the fuel filler neck to provide a
mechanical stop.

I say "hey, let me show you something" and show him that the sharp corner of
the casting is resting on the fuel filler. He pulls the nozzle out of the
tank, and there is a noticable mark on the paint where he was resting the
nozzle. He said he didn't realize he was doing that. I didn't point out
the new chip on the other wing, which I speculate was caused by either the
same technique, or the other technique I've seen many times, where the
lineman puts the nozzle into the tank at a 45 degree angle, and the weight
of the nozzle rests on the painted edge of the fuel filler.

This is my home airport, and the guy was nice enough, so I didn't make an
issue out of it, but it is really frustrating to have avoidable dings and
chips on your airplane when it costs $5k or $10k to have the thing
repainted...

BTW, self serve is not an option at my home field, which is why I usually go
elsewhere for fuel. That and the high prices that are caused by having to
pay the "fuel truck guy" to hang around the airport all day long when there
really isn't much fuel being sold...

Also, now that I'm giving this more thought, I need to see if the guy dented
the bottom of my fuel tanks by sticking the nozzle so far in there...
Sheesh...

Talk to the FBO manager. It's his job to insure proper training of his
employees. Venting here may make you feel better but it won't get the
message to the right person.

Kyle Boatright wrote:
How do the rest of you deal with careless linemen? The kind who scratch
your airplane or chip the paint because they are either careless or have not
been properly trained on how to avoid damaging aircraft when refueling 'em.



I've done my share of ramp ratting and I'll remind you the FBO isn't paying that
guy enough to live on. OTOH, most of the guys on the ramp like aviation and
wouldn't knowingly damage an aircraft. I'd say education would be the answer
you're looking for.

I congratulate you on keeping your temper. What many people never seem to
consider is what motivates others. When somebody shows me their ass, I tend to
look for ways to pay them back. When somebody's nice to me and I've screwed up,
I look for ways to make it up to them. You definitely want to be in the latter
category.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

VE

Tell you what I suggest for the futu Lay hands on enough rubber or soft
plastic to cover the area of the filler with a good margin around it, and
cut out a circle just a tad larger than the filler opening. Tell the lineboy
to put it in place before inserting the nozzle. I'll bet you could go to a
second-hand store and pick up place mats, dish mats, etc that would do the
job for pennies.

Bob Gardner

"Kyle Boatright" wrote in message
...
How do the rest of you deal with careless linemen? The kind who scratch
your airplane or chip the paint because they are either careless or have
not been properly trained on how to avoid damaging aircraft when refueling
'em.

Case in point - this afternoon I stopped by the airport to prep for a trip
to the beach tomorrow. I grabbed a couple of maps and the handheld gps
from the airplane while the lineman was getting ready to fuel the
airplane. By the time I grabbed those things, the lineman had already
filled the left tank, and there was a brand spankin' new paint chip near
the fuel filler on the tank. How do I know it was brand new? Because I'd
just wiped off a nice collection of bugs from the airplane, and it wasn't
chipped then... Anyway, I eased over to see how he was coming with the
other tank, and he had the entire 10" long nozzle in the right tank and
was using a notch in the fuel nozzle's handle to catch the edge of the
fuel filler neck to provide a mechanical stop.

I say "hey, let me show you something" and show him that the sharp corner
of the casting is resting on the fuel filler. He pulls the nozzle out of
the tank, and there is a noticable mark on the paint where he was resting
the nozzle. He said he didn't realize he was doing that. I didn't point
out the new chip on the other wing, which I speculate was caused by either
the same technique, or the other technique I've seen many times, where the
lineman puts the nozzle into the tank at a 45 degree angle, and the weight
of the nozzle rests on the painted edge of the fuel filler.

This is my home airport, and the guy was nice enough, so I didn't make an
issue out of it, but it is really frustrating to have avoidable dings and
chips on your airplane when it costs $5k or $10k to have the thing
repainted...

BTW, self serve is not an option at my home field, which is why I usually
go elsewhere for fuel. That and the high prices that are caused by having
to pay the "fuel truck guy" to hang around the airport all day long when
there really isn't much fuel being sold...

Also, now that I'm giving this more thought, I need to see if the guy
dented the bottom of my fuel tanks by sticking the nozzle so far in
there... Sheesh...

"Bob Gardner" wrote in message ...
Tell you what I suggest for the futu Lay hands on enough rubber or soft
plastic to cover the area of the filler with a good margin around it, and
cut out a circle just a tad larger than the filler opening. Tell the
lineboy to put it in place before inserting the nozzle. I'll bet you could
go to a second-hand store and pick up place mats, dish mats, etc that
would do the job for pennies.

Bob Gardner

That's a great idea and if you want to spend $19.95 there is a company
that sells one if you don't want to make your own.
http://www.theproperaircraft.com/prod7.html
Look about 2/3's down the page.

David

That filler mat will work well. I've seen people use the rubber padding
stores sell for lining drawers of tool boxes as well.
The previous owner of our 172 had a lineboy rest the fuel nozzle like
you mentioned. On later inspection he found a cracked filler neck on
the fuel tank. That's a costly repair for what seems like a harmless
action. My A&P taught me to hold the hose over my shoulder, keeping the
weight of the hose off of the airplane. For us high wingers you also
need to watch and make sure the linemen dont stand on the struts(unless
you've got the steps and pads some models do) and bang the ladder into
the wings/fuselage/strut.

Brock Boss

Kyle Boatright wrote:
How do the rest of you deal with careless linemen? The kind who scratch
your airplane or chip the paint because they are either careless or have not
been properly trained on how to avoid damaging aircraft when refueling 'em.

Be careful with the cheap ones... if the wing is hot, it may stick and
leave a residue on your wing.

Every owner probably handles things like this differently. I agree it can be
a real hassle when somebody puts a nice dent or ding on that nice new Imron
paint job you just forked out 10 grand for.
There are two scenarios involved with this type of thing; one at your home
field; the other on the road.
It's a lot easier to handle it on your home field. Just walk into the flight
office and very nicely but with some authority state quite clearly exactly
how you wish your airplane to be handled. If using a rag between a hose
nozzle and your paint is something you prefer, tell them.
I've done this for fifty years and never had a problem.
On the other hand, getting serviced at strange fields has it's risks. Trust
me I know :-)
You can always leave explicit instructions with the line office that define
any concerns you might have. Also, something I always did was to have a
prepared notice on a neatly done signboard that I left showing in plain
sight inside my canopy for the line people to see asking for rags between
metal at all times when servicing my airplane. This also served me well
through the years, as did the nice little pitot cover my wife made for me
out of red fabric with a nice lightning bolt sewn on both sides with the
following sewn into it........."DON'T TOUCH THIS. HIGH VOLTAGE" :-))))
Worked like a charm!!!
Dudley Henriques


"Kyle Boatright" wrote in message
...
How do the rest of you deal with careless linemen? The kind who scratch
your airplane or chip the paint because they are either careless or have
not been properly trained on how to avoid damaging aircraft when refueling
'em.

Case in point - this afternoon I stopped by the airport to prep for a trip
to the beach tomorrow. I grabbed a couple of maps and the handheld gps
from the airplane while the lineman was getting ready to fuel the
airplane. By the time I grabbed those things, the lineman had already
filled the left tank, and there was a brand spankin' new paint chip near
the fuel filler on the tank. How do I know it was brand new? Because I'd
just wiped off a nice collection of bugs from the airplane, and it wasn't
chipped then... Anyway, I eased over to see how he was coming with the
other tank, and he had the entire 10" long nozzle in the right tank and
was using a notch in the fuel nozzle's handle to catch the edge of the
fuel filler neck to provide a mechanical stop.

I say "hey, let me show you something" and show him that the sharp corner
of the casting is resting on the fuel filler. He pulls the nozzle out of
the tank, and there is a noticable mark on the paint where he was resting
the nozzle. He said he didn't realize he was doing that. I didn't point
out the new chip on the other wing, which I speculate was caused by either
the same technique, or the other technique I've seen many times, where the
lineman puts the nozzle into the tank at a 45 degree angle, and the weight
of the nozzle rests on the painted edge of the fuel filler.

This is my home airport, and the guy was nice enough, so I didn't make an
issue out of it, but it is really frustrating to have avoidable dings and
chips on your airplane when it costs $5k or $10k to have the thing
repainted...

BTW, self serve is not an option at my home field, which is why I usually
go elsewhere for fuel. That and the high prices that are caused by having
to pay the "fuel truck guy" to hang around the airport all day long when
there really isn't much fuel being sold...

Also, now that I'm giving this more thought, I need to see if the guy
dented the bottom of my fuel tanks by sticking the nozzle so far in
there... Sheesh...

Tell you what I suggest for the futu Lay hands on enough rubber or soft
plastic to cover the area of the filler with a good margin around it, and
cut out a circle just a tad larger than the filler opening. Tell the
lineboy to put it in place before inserting the nozzle.

The most damage I've ever had inflicted by a lineman was due to a guy using
one of those rubber mats.

It had been "stored" in the gravel adjacent to the fuel pump, and
(unbeknownst to him) the underside had become caked with sand and small
stones. That sand- and rock-paper was ground into the paint by the weight
of the line-guy's arm and the edge of the fuel filler spout.

It seems silly to have to say it, but if your FBO uses a rubber mat make
sure they brush off the loose stuff before laying it on your wing.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

I NEVER let someone else fuel my Skywagon.

Just be there and ask nicely for the hose.


Karl
"Curator" N185KG


"Kyle Boatright" wrote in message
...
How do the rest of you deal with careless linemen? The kind who scratch
your airplane or chip the paint because they are either careless or have
not been properly trained on how to avoid damaging aircraft when refueling
'em.

Case in point - this afternoon I stopped by the airport to prep for a trip
to the beach tomorrow. I grabbed a couple of maps and the handheld gps
from the airplane while the lineman was getting ready to fuel the
airplane. By the time I grabbed those things, the lineman had already
filled the left tank, and there was a brand spankin' new paint chip near
the fuel filler on the tank. How do I know it was brand new? Because I'd
just wiped off a nice collection of bugs from the airplane, and it wasn't
chipped then... Anyway, I eased over to see how he was coming with the
other tank, and he had the entire 10" long nozzle in the right tank and
was using a notch in the fuel nozzle's handle to catch the edge of the
fuel filler neck to provide a mechanical stop.

I say "hey, let me show you something" and show him that the sharp corner
of the casting is resting on the fuel filler. He pulls the nozzle out of
the tank, and there is a noticable mark on the paint where he was resting
the nozzle. He said he didn't realize he was doing that. I didn't point
out the new chip on the other wing, which I speculate was caused by either
the same technique, or the other technique I've seen many times, where the
lineman puts the nozzle into the tank at a 45 degree angle, and the weight
of the nozzle rests on the painted edge of the fuel filler.

This is my home airport, and the guy was nice enough, so I didn't make an
issue out of it, but it is really frustrating to have avoidable dings and
chips on your airplane when it costs $5k or $10k to have the thing
repainted...

BTW, self serve is not an option at my home field, which is why I usually
go elsewhere for fuel. That and the high prices that are caused by having
to pay the "fuel truck guy" to hang around the airport all day long when
there really isn't much fuel being sold...

Also, now that I'm giving this more thought, I need to see if the guy
dented the bottom of my fuel tanks by sticking the nozzle so far in
there... Sheesh...