How much fuel do you typically keep in the tanks?
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- Chris B
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How much fuel do you typically keep in the tanks?
I'm planning to buy a used DA40 in the next few months, in part because of this great forum! This place is unbelievably flame-free, and filled with lots of useful info!
One question that I have not been able to find (my apologies if I am just terrible at searching):
With the DA40's modest useful load, how much fuel do you typically leave in the tanks?
This presumably will affect the easiest way to handle co-ownership fuel expenses.
Chris
One question that I have not been able to find (my apologies if I am just terrible at searching):
With the DA40's modest useful load, how much fuel do you typically leave in the tanks?
This presumably will affect the easiest way to handle co-ownership fuel expenses.
Chris
- BlackMammoth
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Re: How much fuel do you typically keep in the tanks?
We don't have a set fuel plan. When the tanks do not have enough fuel for the task at hand, we fill them up.
- Chris
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Re: How much fuel do you typically keep in the tanks?
We have three partners so the easist way to make sure everybody pays for their own fuel is to fill it up when you're done. On the very few occasions that somebody wants to use it with less than full fuel, that person simply coordinates it with whomever takes it up before them, if possible, or goes up for some extra practice if not.
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Re: How much fuel do you typically keep in the tanks?
How about just using a company credit card for all fuel and just setting up a per-hour fee to cover the fuel?
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Re: How much fuel do you typically keep in the tanks?
That's how we do it. However, our airport pulls the plane and fuels what you request so it isn't work for the next pilot and leaves room for useful load. We also log time and fuel remaining in an online log after each flight so the next person knows what they need to order.Lance Murray wrote:How about just using a company credit card for all fuel and just setting up a per-hour fee to cover the fuel?
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Re: How much fuel do you typically keep in the tanks?
This is the way I was leaning, but am curious how other people handle fuel.Lance Murray wrote:How about just using a company credit card for all fuel and just setting up a per-hour fee to cover the fuel?
I'm not exactly svelte , so me + 50 gallons = 2 person plane. Me + 30 gallons = 3 person plane.
What tool do you use?Graham wrote:We also log time and fuel remaining in an online log after each flight...
Any issues with condensation, or is the partially-full-tank problem over-blown?
Chris
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Re: How much fuel do you typically keep in the tanks?
Chris
First of all welcome to our friendly community. You are very right: this forum is a place where one actually makes "real" friends as opposed to flaming debates.
I have met in person two of our forum members in the last few weeks and it was a great pleasure.
Regarding condensation in the tanks, I am in the unfortunate position of being able to give you a competent answer: my plane sits on the tarmac all year long and I have never ever seen a sign of water in the tanks, not even in the worst of fall where the plane was dripping from condensation.
I believe this is partly because our fuel cells are separate (no wet wing) and enclosed in a composite "blanket". The fuel caps are also high quality and do not seem to leak at all.
Safe flying
Antoine
First of all welcome to our friendly community. You are very right: this forum is a place where one actually makes "real" friends as opposed to flaming debates.
I have met in person two of our forum members in the last few weeks and it was a great pleasure.
Regarding condensation in the tanks, I am in the unfortunate position of being able to give you a competent answer: my plane sits on the tarmac all year long and I have never ever seen a sign of water in the tanks, not even in the worst of fall where the plane was dripping from condensation.
I believe this is partly because our fuel cells are separate (no wet wing) and enclosed in a composite "blanket". The fuel caps are also high quality and do not seem to leak at all.
Safe flying
Antoine
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Re: How much fuel do you typically keep in the tanks?
We just use an excel spreadsheet in google docs built to capture hobbs, air time and fuel remaining. Everyone sets up an account and then just set the document to share with the other pilots.Chris B wrote:What tool do you use?Graham wrote:We also log time and fuel remaining in an online log after each flight...
Any issues with condensation, or is the partially-full-tank problem over-blown?
I have yet to see any water in a fuel test but the plane does fly a fair bit so condensation may not really develop.
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Re: How much fuel do you typically keep in the tanks?
G'Day
Have to agree with Antoine and Graham, my aircraft is also outside, and never have had any issues with condensation. The fuel caps do seem to seal well. Some of the condensation apparently is from the air in the tanks.
I use to fly an old Partenavia - twin engine. We would get water from the fuel drain before every flight, sometimes draining 100 mls...engines never missed a beat.
Its usually me or my stepson flying, so W& B is not an issue.
Cheers
Robin
Have to agree with Antoine and Graham, my aircraft is also outside, and never have had any issues with condensation. The fuel caps do seem to seal well. Some of the condensation apparently is from the air in the tanks.
I use to fly an old Partenavia - twin engine. We would get water from the fuel drain before every flight, sometimes draining 100 mls...engines never missed a beat.
Its usually me or my stepson flying, so W& B is not an issue.
Cheers
Robin
Robin
DA-40XLS 40.1078
VH-JRZ, Australia
DA-40XLS 40.1078
VH-JRZ, Australia
- Rich
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Re: How much fuel do you typically keep in the tanks?
I do it this way. It's not precise, but it's close enough and gives folks flexibility and convenience.Lance Murray wrote:How about just using a company credit card for all fuel and just setting up a per-hour fee to cover the fuel?
There has long been some belief that leaving a bunch of air in the tanks while the plane is parked produces water condensation in the tanks, leading many to be obsessive about keeping their tanks full when parked. I don't do that and neither do any of the FBOs at my home field. I've owned the plane over ten years and have yet to find even a single drop of water in testing fuel samples before flight.
2002 DA40-180: MT, PowerFlow, 530W/430W, KAP140, ext. baggage, 1090 ES out, 2646 MTOW, 40gal., Surefly, Flightstream 210, Orion 600 LED, XeVision, Aspen E5