Cool! Private Aircraft can Refuel at Air Force Bases!

NetSpeaker

NetSpeaker

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Randy
Apparenly we can now drop in on any Air Force Base to refuel! Very Cool!

I've been looking, but haven't yet been able to find the official announcement of the new policy, but it has been all over the news. President Clinton's "private humanitarian mission" (with absolutely no connection to the United States Government) to Korea in a privately owned Boeing Business Jet refueled twice at US Air Force bases.

So, is this only Jet A, or can we also get 100LL?

:smilewinkgrin:
 
On the airliners I fly we carry DoD Fuel cards in case we are on a Military base and need fuel. Been this way for years.
 
On the military jets I fly we have credit cards so we can buy fuel and services at civilian fields.
 
AWACSEng said:
On the military jets I fly we have credit cards so we can buy fuel and services at civilian fields.
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We love to support our military but the red tape involved in processing those cards is a PITA. We have to process them manually plus we can't pass on the federal excise tax that we had to pay to get the fuel in the storage tank to start with. We have to file with the IRS to get it back.
 
Ahhh the good ol 1348 form.
 
We used to have the form Tom, but now we have a no kidding credit card with a magnetic strip and everything. We still use a form, I think it's a form 18, to purchase things such as fleet service. As far as the cards being a PITA, I've never used one at a civil field. Most of the fuel trucks on AF Bases actually have readers on them to process the cards. And yes, we do have to pay for our gas at other bases. Weird.
 
During a recent open house at Offutt AF Base the base commander addressed us fly-ins by saying; "You are always welcome here at SAC if you need our assistance. However, be aware when you land here will be greeted by 18 year old's with machine guns just looking for an excuse to use them, so don't give them one. You may also be detained until we figure out your intentions. Have a nice visit!"
 
AWACSEng said:
We used to have the form Tom, but now we have a no kidding credit card with a magnetic strip and everything. We still use a form, I think it's a form 18, to purchase things such as fleet service. As far as the cards being a PITA, I've never used one at a civil field. Most of the fuel trucks on AF Bases actually have readers on them to process the cards. And yes, we do have to pay for our gas at other bases. Weird.
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Even though we are in Arkansas, we do have electronic processing for normal credit cards. However, we don't have enough military volume to get set up with electronic processing for the military cards. Helicopter crews seem to have us identified as a good fuel stop. We enjoy their visits, love the chance to support them and appreciate selling the fuel. They aren't responsible for the payment process.

The manual forms are set up so that the most legible form goes to the customer. We make xerox copies of it before giving it to the customer so we have something legible to send in to the processing center. The cards are often long overdue for replacement with numbers so flattened that they won't imprint.

Just think how much paper work would be avoided if the unit paid the FET and filed a single quarterly form to get it back as opposed to every place they have stopped in the quarter having to file one. These forms all also require processing at the IRS and the cutting of a check to each facility involved. The process could be reduced to the processing of one form and one check. Of course, that might eliminate some IRS jobs
 
Getting 100LL at air bases it pretty tough. I use a Coast Guard Air Station a lot through the summer and often park on their ramp so that I can visit the exchange. I will usually saunter over to the ward room for lunch if it is that time too. To get 100LL they will let me call over the fuel truck to fill up. That FBO has the fuel trucks with the cc readers so I pay that way.
 
Cap'n Jack said:
Offutt does fly-ins? When? Maybe as part of the airshow?
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Air Force regs allows anybody to fly into an Air Force Base provided you have advanced permission from the Base Commander. When the base puts on an air show it's not unusual for the Base Commander to freely grant permits to all GA aircraft that want to fly in instead of drive. They don't all do this - but it's not out of the ordinary, either.

Navy, OTOH, it's no way Jose.
 
Joe B said:
Air Force regs allows anybody to fly into an Air Force Base provided you have advanced permission from the Base Commander. When the base puts on an air show it's not unusual for the Base Commander to freely grant permits to all GA aircraft that want to fly in instead of drive. They don't all do this - but it's not out of the ordinary, either.

Navy, OTOH, it's no way Jose.
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I appreciate the info, but the Offutt web page doesn't seem to advertise this for the air show and I didn't see anything that didn't like like specially invited civilian aircraft when I was at the last airshow.
 
Growing up, We flew civilian Cessna's @ a base aero club. It was the best of both worlds. Civilian AC, but with priviliges to land at most Military bases( we were Air Force). DaveR
 
Joe B said:
Air Force regs allows anybody to fly into an Air Force Base provided you have advanced permission from the Base Commander.
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In order to get that permission, you must have a good reason to land there. By "a good reason," they mean that the Air Force has a reason for you to be there. Examples include contractors working on projects at that base -- I used to fly in to Wright-Pat to work on things with the Wright Labs there. Just being a convenient place to get fuel would not constitute "a good reason." Also, the Air Force no longer carries avgas on its bases. The only places you could get avgas on an AFB would be if there's an Aero Club with their own fueling facility, and they still may not sell to outsiders even if you have the official approval to land at that base. There's a lot of paperwork which must be filed, including a permission form, hold harmless agreement, and proof of insurance form.

Also, Navy/Marine and Army airfields operate on the same basis. You can get permission if you have a good reason to be there, but probably won't be able to find avgas.

The fly-ins mentioned are exceptions to the general rules, but again, don't expect to find avgas for sale to you.
 
It is next to impossible to land at military fields without a damn good reason. Apparently, "I want to land at all airports in New Mexico" is not a damn good reason.
 
BTW, when I was stationed at Cannon AFB, NM, the base commander allowed those of us with our own planes to park on the unused south ramp -- we became known as the "South Ramp Air Force." I think we had seven planes parked there when I left in 1982. However, we had to buy our fuel over at Clovis Muni even though the base had military avgas in those days (almost 30 years ago).
 
I have to admit, it is pretty cool landing on a 10,000' runway in an airplane that only needs 1k or less to get stopped. As far as AvGas at Elmendorf, only available to Aero Club, CAP, and privately owned aircraft belonging to Aero Club members.
 
BTW, if you do land at a military field, beware of the "barriers" on the runway. These are arresting gear cables used to help stop tailhook-equipped aircraft if they have a problem which compromises their ability to stop (brake problems, flap/slat malfunctions requiring really fast approaches, etc). Usually these are located about 1000-1500 feet from each end of the runway, and they will rip the landing gear off your light plane if you snag them. Some bases have mechanisms to retract the cable into the runway, but many don't. Make sure you know where the "barriers" (USAF lingo) or "cables" (Navy-speak) are located (they're marked on NACO approach charts), land beyond the approach end barrier/cable, and stop/turn off short of the departure end barrier cable. Given the typical length of USN/USAF runways, that usually still leaves you more than 6000 feet of usuable runway, but make sure you are good enough at spot landings to touch down where you want within a couple of hundred feet, and aim accordingly.
 
AWACSEng said:
I have to admit, it is pretty cool landing on a 10,000' runway in an airplane that only needs 1k or less to get stopped.
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Yes it is. For the experience without the paperwork, land at KPSM, the former Pease AFB. 11,321 x 150 feet.

-Skip
 
There are plenty of former SAC bases all over the country that one can experience this. Clinton-Sherman in OK was another of my favorites.
 
Many USAF bases will "invite" GA aircraft for special events. Buckley AFB (Denver) does it once in a great while.
HOWEVER -- they must know about you, any passengers & the aircraft in advance. Sign the hold-harmless waiver. And other paperwork including a fax FROM the insurance agency - they wouldn't accept the fax from me. I had the opportunity a few years ago but decided it really wasn't worth it. I've been in USAF and Navy bases. No big deal - except it would be fun to have it in my logbook.
 
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