Do you check fuel before every flight? (POLL)

[jetdriven]

Quote: maropers

Ward, I trimmed your post down to just the question. 

I'm with you in I will not go over max and try to stay at least 100 lbs under.  I'm not trained to be a test pilot and don't really care to be either...   I don't travel with friends very often (maybe twice a year) and even then it's usually only 1 person.  It's just to easy to run a quick weight and balance on an iPad or iPhone with all of the apps out there nowadays.  I've seen the same thing at the airports and just shake my head hoping that they aren't going to become another statistic.

Brian

[Jimhamilton]

In Salt Lake City I have had fuel siphoned over night.  This is at KSLC with all the tight securtiy.  So, you bet I check it.  I even thought of getting one of those wildlife cameras that operate on batteries and are triggered by motion.  However, it has not happened again.

[DrBill]

Sump first flight of day AND after I get fuel. Open cap and verify level, every flight.

Bill

 

[MagicCarpet]

Visual every time.  Fuel Sample every time.

As we say, there are Old Pilots and Bold Pilots, but there are no "Old, Bold Pilots".

Also, never rely on fuel gauges, always rely on your calculated fuel burn rate and time of flight.  Gauges may fail in flight, but if you visualized that you had 5 hours of fuel before you took off, and you started your clock at takeoff, with a two hour flight, you know you are good-to-go.

Still flying.

Carter
ATP, CFII, MEI, CFI-H
U.S. Army Aviation (retired and still flying)

 

[201er]

I have to say I'm pretty surprised at the results of the poll. First of all, it's awesome that we got such a large sample (72 at this time). Basically 90% said that they open the cap and look to see how much fuel is in the tank. I am surprised by this because too often I'll see people just jump in a plane without checking anything. Perhaps they preflighted it in the morning but were having a burger or they got it handed off by someone else. I guess this just reflects well on Mooney pilots that they are more attentive about fuel matters than others. Seems to be far less stories of Mooneys running out of gas as well. What do you think of that?

[WardHolbrook]

Quote: jetdriven

 Which brings up another question - How many have an acutal "by the scale" empty weight and CG - I know that it's one thing that I'd like to get eventually. 

[WardHolbrook]

Quote: jetdriven

 Which brings up another question - How many have an acutal "by the scale" empty weight and CG - I know that it's one thing that I'd like to get eventually. 

[Wakeup]

I wished I had a calibrated stick for my plane. It would help me feel better about taking off without a full tank every time. Troy

[BigTex]

Absolutely... I never trust my gauges so I used a calibrated fuel stick and the fuel flow in my gps to document my on broad fuel. Almost always launch with full tanks. Why risk the leading cause of engine failure.

[Guest]

Every time.  No exceptions.  Loss of engine caused by lack of fuel scares me.

Ned,

That's called Super LOP or just way to much air in the tanks.

Clarence

[bonal]

I visual and stick every time but then I go strait to the fuel rig and add enough for the trip plus another hour trouble is this always puts them to the top. Then I have to wait for the fuel to pass through the baffles (bladders). I always sump before I crank and after I fuel. Since its just me and the wife 125lbs I can always go full tanks.

[Hector]

I dipstick each tank, compare against fuel totalizer, and adjust if required (typically within one gallon). I also created a spreadsheet that I run on my iPad for fuel management. Every time I switch tanks I just enter the remaining fuel per the totalizer and the spreadsheet keeps track of exactly how much I have remaining in each tank. On long flights I have used this to run one tank down to almost empty, leaving a full hour of reserve in the other to land or shoot the approach.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[aaronk25]

My wing sight gauges are within a gallon of whats in the tank. I can't believe how accurate they are.....

[Ned Gravel]

Ned,

That's called Super LOP or just way to much air in the tanks.

Clarence

Sent from my iPad

[Bob - S50]

Visual every time.  Fuel Sample every time.

As we say, there are Old Pilots and Bold Pilots, but there are no "Old, Bold Pilots".

Also, never rely on fuel gauges, always rely on your calculated fuel burn rate and time of flight.  Gauges may fail in flight, but if you visualized that you had 5 hours of fuel before you took off, and you started your clock at takeoff, with a two hour flight, you know you are good-to-go.

Still flying.

Carter

ATP, CFII, MEI, CFI-H

U.S. Army Aviation (retired and still flying)

Except when you have a fuel leak.  That won't show up in your calculations but it will show up on the gauge.  If the leak is between the tank and the fuel flow sensor it won't show up on the fuel used indicator either

 

I check the tanks before every flight.  We bought a Fuel Stick Master and calibrated it for our '78 J.  Does not show any fuel until the wing has 11 gallons (due to design of the stick).  We calibrated it to 25 gallons in one gallon increments.  I use the measured amount to set the fuel on board in the JPI EDM 730, we have a digital fuel gauge that shows fuel to the nearest 0.1 gallon (and I've confirmed it is within a gallon during level flight), and if I'm going cross country I print out a flight plan from DUAT.  So I know what I had to start and I have 3 ways to track fuel used.  If any of them show I might be running low I can stop to check and get more if need be.

 

I do not plan to fill the tanks for every flight.  I plan to put enough in to land with 12 or 13 gallons.  That gives me enough to use 2 or 3 gallons for winds or other delays and still land with an hour of fuel on board.

 

Bob

[carusoam]

Consider the wing top indicators. They work pretty well and are easily replaced after several years...

They get mounted in an access panel.

Available for all Mooneys?

Plus, I visually inspect by opening and closing the cap.

Best regards,

-a-

This is one of Mike's ancient polls?

[jetdriven]

Wing tank visual gauges are not an option for the bladder tank crowd. I have flown Mooneys that have them and I wish I could install a set.

[Htwjr]

A few weeks ago I learned a very valuable lesson and I now visually check every time before flying.  I stopped and  requested a fill up.  When I returned a couple of hours later I paid for the gas, went out sampled the tanks, preflighted the plane and took off.   About an hour later the fbo called and said they had made a mistake and had not put any gas in my plane.  Scared the crap out of me but luckily I had plenty anyway.   I will never rely on someone telling me that they put gas in my plane again. 

[jetdriven]

+1 for the self-serve crowd. Not only is the airplane full but you save too.

[N201MKTurbo]

After 30 years of Mooney ownership with an F and a J (same tanks) I can look in the tanks and tell you within 1/2 hour how much time is in the tanks and when they get low I can tell within 5 minutes.

 

In my 30 years of Mooney flying, other then stop and gos I have never taken off without looking in both tanks and checking the oil. Even if I just flew to the next airport for breakfast. And I sump once a day and after every fill-up.

 

My private pilot instructor would crawl our of his grave and chew my ear off if I didn't.....

[wishboneash]

I use the fuel dip stick before and after every flight and record it. When below around 20g, the tank is dry as far as the fuel stick measurement is concerned. I know exactly how much fuel I have and can make short flights under this condition. Along with the EDM-700 (FF option) and gauges, one should not run out of fuel.

[AmigOne]

Since my fuel gauges are not accurate I always check the fuel to ensure that I use the fullest tank for take off.  I have an EDM 450 so I always know how much total fuel I have left

[bonal]

I think a better question would be to ask is who doesn't visually check and if not why not its not like you need a ladder as on our high wing second cousins. It only takes a few seconds to open and look and if your doing a proper pre flight you would be working your way around the wings any way. I wonder if any one chooses to not check the dip stick on the oil level.

[Ned Gravel]

After 30 years of Mooney ownership with an F and a J (same tanks) I can look in the tanks and tell you within 1/2 hour how much time is in the tanks and when they get low I can tell within 5 minutes.

In my 30 years of Mooney flying, other then stop and gos I have never taken off without looking in both tanks and checking the oil. Even if I just flew to the next airport for breakfast. And I sump once a day and after every fill-up.

My private pilot instructor would crawl our of his grave and chew my ear off if I didn't.....

I am the same way.

Sent from my iPad

[jlunseth]

I always check, yes, but I don't always take the caps off to do it.  My aircraft has antisyphon valves, and if the fuel is not right up near the top you won't see it.  A stick is no help, there is no way to get it to go in straight.  I use the sight gauges on the wings.  If it is going to be a full tank and a fuel critical flight, then I should be able to see fuel on top of the valve flapper, and I will press the flapper down to make sure it is not just a little bit of fuel sitting on the flapper over a tank that is five gallons short.  If the tank is full the fuel will stay, if it is not the fuel drains away so I make sure more gets put in.

 

I sump first flight of every day, and every time I add fuel.  I have seen bad fuel in a Mooney, it was a J, not my plane.  Water likes to collect in the depression for the cap and leak into the fuel if the gaskets are not sound.  It was ugly, brown, gunky stuff.