Do you Store with Full Tanks?

[Bob - S50]

The OP was referring to long term storage.

For day to day, there are many reasons that drive our decisions about how much fuel to leave in the tanks.  We (4 partners) park the plane with 30-35 gallons because that gives the next pilot more payload flexibility and still provides enough fuel to fly for at least 2 hours before they need to stop for gas.  If I never flew with more than 3 people, I would probably let fuel price drive my decision.  Or I might let a combination or flexibility and ease of fueling drive my decision and fuel it to the 50 gallon tabs.

To each their own.

[RobertGary1]

16 hours ago, flight2000 said:

 

I always parked mine full so I didn't have to worry about taxiing over to the fuel pumps before a flight.  Prefer any water that happens to get into the fuel tank to have settled to the bottom overnight or while waiting for the next flight.  I also subscribe to the theory that a wet seal is a happy seal and is less prone to dry out and fail.   Just my .01 cent worth...

Cheers,

Brian

I never filled by Beech either but in a Mooney most of us really don't want to park with full fuel. Any Mooney F and beyond has extended tanks. If you're planning on flying for less than 6 hours you don't need tankered fuel. A Mooney will full fuel is a fat pig. A Mooney with 1/2 tanks is a sports car. Why fly a pig when you can fly a sports car. I have considered seeking an STC that would allow F/J Mooneys to partially block their tanks to reduce the capacity to 25/side. That way pilots can feel comfortable will full fuel but yet still have that sports car feel.

 

-Robert

[ArtVandelay]

Js have a tab at 25 gallon level, and I don't know what you mean by extended tanks, but I know factory Js don't have them.

[flight2000]

Just now, RobertGary1 said:

I never filled by Beech either but in a Mooney most of us really don't want to park with full fuel. Any Mooney F and beyond has extended tanks. If you're planning on flying for less than 6 hours you don't need tankered fuel. A Mooney will full fuel is a fat pig. A Mooney with 1/2 tanks is a sports car. Why fly a pig when you can fly a sports car. I have considered seeking an STC that would allow F/J Mooneys to partially block their tanks to reduce the capacity to 25/side. That way pilots can feel comfortable will full fuel but yet still have that sports car feel.

 

-Robert

I was actually referring to my M20E that I owned for 9+ years before moving to my current Beech.  I had no issues parking with full fuel and only had 52 gallon tanks, so can understand the issues with keeping fuel tanks full in the birds with the larger tanks.  I've never been comfortable running with fuel loads that are close to minimums when landing.  Just a mental quirk that I have...anything less than 10 gallons when I land and I start to get a little more nervous than I care for. 

In my current ride, I still go with full fuel, mostly because I can and full is cheap where I'm at and can just do my normal out and back runs without refueling.  I still feel better with keeping the interior bladders wet versus letting them dry out though. 

Long term storage of my previous Mooney (>45 days sometimes due to deployments, schools, etc...) always had full fuel and never had an issue with fuel leaking or evaporating, even during the hot Kansas summers.  Of course, I also had a hangar, so the sun wasn't continually beating on the wings, interior, and fuel tanks...

Cheers,

Brian

[Joe Zuffoletto]

I used to until I had to replace the main gear biscuits with only 300 hours on the plane. 612 lbs of fuel is a heavy load.

[N6758N]

1 hour ago, RobertGary1 said:

I never filled by Beech either but in a Mooney most of us really don't want to park with full fuel. Any Mooney F and beyond has extended tanks. If you're planning on flying for less than 6 hours you don't need tankered fuel. A Mooney will full fuel is a fat pig. A Mooney with 1/2 tanks is a sports car. Why fly a pig when you can fly a sports car. I have considered seeking an STC that would allow F/J Mooneys to partially block their tanks to reduce the capacity to 25/side. That way pilots can feel comfortable will full fuel but yet still have that sports car feel.

 

Why on earth would you want to block the fuel capacity in the tank? If you like flying with less than full tanks that's fine, but I wouldn't want to permanently block the capacity. Also at 25 a side in an F you are nearly full anyways, F models didn't leave the factory with extended tanks...Full tanks in an F will only get you about 6 hours aloft with IFR reserves and only if you don't run best power. If I was planning on a flight of anything over 4 hours I would most definitely have full tanks, at least in a standard C,E,F or J with factory tanks. 

[RobertGary1]

2 hours ago, N6758N said:

Why on earth would you want to block the fuel capacity in the tank? If you like flying with less than full tanks that's fine, but I wouldn't want to permanently block the capacity. Also at 25 a side in an F you are nearly full anyways, F models didn't leave the factory with extended tanks...Full tanks in an F will only get you about 6 hours aloft with IFR reserves and only if you don't run best power. If I was planning on a flight of anything over 4 hours I would most definitely have full tanks, at least in a standard C,E,F or J with factory tanks. 

You'd think but so many pilots grew up flying 172's and don't feel comfortable with less than full tanks.

-Robert

[jetdriven]

5 hours ago, RobertGary1 said:

I never filled by Beech either but in a Mooney most of us really don't want to park with full fuel. Any Mooney F and beyond has extended tanks. If you're planning on flying for less than 6 hours you don't need tankered fuel. A Mooney will full fuel is a fat pig. A Mooney with 1/2 tanks is a sports car. Why fly a pig when you can fly a sports car. I have considered seeking an STC that would allow F/J Mooneys to partially block their tanks to reduce the capacity to 25/side. That way pilots can feel comfortable will full fuel but yet still have that sports car feel.

 

-Robert

I don't see how an extra 130lbs makes your airplane  go from a sports car to a pig. I don't notice much difference. 

[RobertGary1]

38 minutes ago, jetdriven said:

I don't see how an extra 130lbs makes your airplane  go from a sports car to a pig. I don't notice much difference. 

Oh, it just leaps off the runway when its lighter. Compare say 15/side to 32/side and you'll be surprised its not even the same plane.

 

-Robert

[jetdriven]

13 minutes ago, RobertGary1 said:

Oh, it just leaps off the runway when its lighter. Compare say 15/side to 32/side and you'll be surprised its not even the same plane.

 

-Robert

At gross weight and 600lb below gross I can tell a difference, heavier is more sedate. But not a difference like that. You're talking  about a 5% difference in takeoff weight.  I don't even think the performance charts have a difference at that small of a change.