Helping yourself to fuel.

Challenged

Challenged

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Saw this on another forum and had to share. Pilot says he and his wife returned to his plane to head home and found an envelope with cash and a note on the glare shield. Apparently another pilot took 10 gallons of fuel from his plane and left double what that would cost. I guess because fuel wasn't available when he was leaving.
 
Gutsiest move I ever saw, Mav.

I assume he didn’t leave enough information for the law to find him.
 
Assuming the pilot in distress is leaving $10/gallon, I'll happily be his fuel mule. Let me know where to send my hangar codes, and I'll provide the Venmo request for $1,360. :D

I might be annoyed at first, but... I think the intent was a good (and presumably desperate) one. I'm assuming this was some nowheresville airport with attended-only or nonfunctional gas pumps.
 
I have done that with cars a couple times when I was much younger, but I would never take fuel from another plane without permission.
 
This is not a precedent I want set. If a drain valve was used, probably no harm, but if a syphon was used, how would you know whether the tube used was immune from breakdown resulting in potential fuel contamination.
I can understand the emergency, but still feel violated unless I knew everything that happened.
 
MajorTurbulence said:
This is not a precedent I want set. If a drain valve was used, probably no harm, but if a syphon was used, how would you know whether the tube used was immune from breakdown resulting in potential fuel contamination.
I can understand the emergency, but still feel violated unless I knew everything that happened.
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Fair point, but why would anyone bother to mess with a siphon when every airplane has readily accessible gravity fed drains?
 
I have often fantasized about making a quad-copter that was somehow gas powered AND had the ability to help itself to a few ounces of sump-fuel, then let it automate itself across the country, sneaking around in the wee hours.
 
Juliet Hotel said:
Fair point, but why would anyone bother to mess with a siphon when every airplane has readily accessible gravity fed drains?
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Weeeeellllll.......not every plane, depending on what's defined as readily accessible. Early Comanches there's only one drain, and it's on the belly, and it's behind a door, and there's not much clearance under there to put anything other than an oil pan.
 
Juliet Hotel said:
Fair point, but why would anyone bother to mess with a siphon when every airplane has readily accessible gravity fed drains?
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Yes, the drain would have been my preference, but this was supposedly an emergency. Do you normally carry siphons or tubes specifically to fit on gravity drains? I don’t. But if an emergency, one might be tempted to use almost anything scavenged from the garbage or anywhere. Whether it’s the right diameter would be lucky indeed. If the wrong diameter and oversized, in a low wing, the person would have to potentially lay on his back holding over the valve for a good while. He might consider it easier to stick the tube in the filler hole and just wait for his container to fill up.
 
It would not bother me in the least unless I were very low on fuel. There but for the grace of God....... Many times at small airports the FBO doesn't show up. I sure am glad we have self fuel credit card pumps these days. BTW if you need to siphon do NOT suck on a hose but seal the tank with a rag and blow in and let the air pressure start the siphon. Or blow on vent tube.
 
That would freak me out thinking about fuel contamination. Probably a siphon of some type. Can't imagine sumping 10 gallons via a Gats jar.
 
I'd be a little torn on this. On the one hand, I've seen someone land first hand expecting fuel, only to find there isn't, and they don't have enough to get to the next nearest airport and the desperation that causes.

On the other hand, that seems like a planning problem. Didn't verify fuel available at their stop. Didn't have enough reserve to make it anywhere else. If the airport doesn't have fuel, that leaves you now in the bind without fuel in your plane, so just shifted the problem.

Not to mention, you have no idea about the fuel in the "donor" plane. Is it Avgas or Mogas, or something in between? Was it checked for ethanol? How old is it, did you just siphon out of a ramp queen?

And as the owner of the "donor" (ok I laughed a little after typing that :D), the idea that someone was dinking around with my airplane without my knowledge or consent just sets wrong with me. It would be one thing if I was there, and offered to pass some gas to them. That is what I've seen happen before many years ago when based at an airport without fuel on the field. A guy doing a XC delivery of a Pitts landed low on gas, only to find the fuel farm hadn't been delivered yet to the new airport. He was on fumes, because well its a Pitts. Some guys that were on the field washing their plane were nice enough to sump a few gallons out of their plane to get him over to the next field.
 
You guys are very forgiving. If someone removed fuel from my tanks AND "left the money on the glareshield", I'd be more than a little angry that they entered the aircraft. If we're picking nits, I doubt it would be left on the OUTSIDE since most of us lack windshield wipers to secure the envelope.

Next note: sorry, was a quart low, saw you had a quick drain and borrowed a quart ... you were at 7 and are now at 6. Here's some cashola:confused::confused::confused:
 
MajorTurbulence said:
He might consider it easier to stick the tube in the filler hole and just wait for his container to fill up.
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...or you could just put the container under the drain and let gravity work its magic thus skipping the need to dig through dumpsters looking for a tube. I'm just sayin'.
 
danhagan said:
Next note: sorry, was a quart low, saw you had a quick drain and borrowed a quart ... you were at 7 and are now at 6. Here's some cashola:confused::confused::confused:
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Needed another headset, saw you left one on your seat.

Actually happened to a friend, he went to go fly and all of his headsets were missing. A "friend" had "borrowed" them without asking and had not returned them yet.
 
On the other side...... After parking at a remote airport, and upon returning, how would you know that fuel had not been removed in your absence.??
 
It should also be mentioned that I don't think anyone here would be least bit surprised if it were discovered that the person who posted this story on the other forum turned out to be a troll.
 
Eesh, you would think you are all driving pristine museum showplanes or something. :D

I have on a few occasions had my impeccable flight planning ruined by a sad little sign in the FBO window saying "back at 2pm" or somesuch and I am stuck rampside looking at 4:30 on my phone. Strangely, I have only encountered this problem in the midwest.
 
Zeldman said:
On the other side...... After parking at a remote airport, and upon returning, how would you know that fuel had not been removed in your absence.??
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Pre-Flight Checklist > Interior > Fuel Gage(s) > Check
Pre-Flight Checklist > Exterior > Fuel Quantity > Verify
 
schmookeeg said:
I have on a few occasions had my impeccable flight planning ruined by a sad little sign in the FBO window saying "back at 2pm" or somesuch and I am stuck rampside looking at 4:30 on my phone. Strangely, I have only encountered this problem in the midwest.
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Well you know how these midwest lunches go sometimes...:D

At least here, we put a phone number to call just in case.
 
smv said:
Pre-Flight Checklist > Interior > Fuel Gage(s) > Check
Pre-Flight Checklist > Exterior > Fuel Quantity > Verify
Click to expand...

Post shut down checklist.....check fuel quantity with fuel stick....go into town and get lunch....check.

Return from lunch....check fuel quantity with fuel stick.....compare readings....check.

Most of the small planes I have flown would not show a 5 gallon difference on the gauge, except for the tiny planes with tiny fuel tanks.
 
midwestpa24 said:
Needed another headset, saw you left one on your seat.

Actually happened to a friend, he went to go fly and all of his headsets were missing. A "friend" had "borrowed" them without asking and had not returned them yet.
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Terrible for your friend ... goes out to fly, and unless he has a hand mike, he isn't going anywhere:(

I've had pilots "borrow" several pitot covers when I'm on cross country flights. Used to lose the angle chocks, but now I make them out of PVC pipe and everyone leaves them;)
 
Zeldman said:
Post shut down checklist.....check fuel quantity with fuel stick....go into town and get lunch....check.
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Please cite where I said that... If you do not know what is your fuel burn and how much fuel you have when you land, I suggest you learn how to figure it out.

Zeldman said:
Most of the small planes I have flown would not show a 5 gallon difference on the gauge, except for the tiny planes with tiny fuel tanks.
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If you cannot see a five-gallon difference on a fuel gauge for a tank of ~30 gallons, might be time for glasses.

Pre-Flight Checklist > Interior > Fuel Gage(s) > Check
Pre-Flight Checklist > Exterior > Fuel Quantity > Verify
 
Mtns2Skies said:
This is the issue I would have. I wouldn't mind donating (or selling) 10 gallons if I could spare it, but someone doing something to my plane without my permission would **** me off to no end.
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Agreed! I would give it if I had it, drive you to it if needed, and maybe even spot you some cash in an emergency ... but don't let me catch you with your fuel can & a hose near my airplane.

Another poster suggested that this was poor flight planning but I don't know that I agree. A local airport has been having fuel farm concerns for a few months so they are now serving out of a truck. That works, as long as someone is there.

I usually try to land with an hour of fuel on board as I've landed with the required minimum before and felt pretty stupid for doing so and told myself I'd not do that again.
 
Not cool. The donor would not know what they don't know...How much fuel was actually removed, how was it removed, was any damage caused to the fuel sender or fuel tanks in the process, etc. etc. And if the donor owner had scheduled a departure with full tanks...well, now they have to go to the fuel farm to fuel up first before departing, possibly leaving them in the same situation as the fuel borrower.
 
Are locking gas caps that are compatible so hard to make? Especially for those with tabs, all you would need is lock the tab.

So hypothetically if my GPS breaks, and I pull yours out to borrow it and promise to ship it back to you, y’all wouldn’t be ok with it?
;-)
 
MooneyDriver78 said:
So hypothetically if my GPS breaks, and I pull yours out to borrow it and promise to ship it back to you, y’all wouldn’t be ok with it?;-)
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If you steal the GPS and mail it back DON'T put a return address on it ... :D
 
chemgeek said:
And if the donor owner had scheduled a departure with full tanks...well, now they have to go to the fuel farm to fuel up first before departing, possibly leaving them in the same situation as the fuel borrower.
Click to expand...


Sorry, but if the pilot does not do a Pre-Flight before his flight he is an idiot, especially if parked out on a ramp. I often fueled up prior but always did a full preflight if away from the plane. That is just as stupid as assuming the line guy fueled your plane without double checking fuel levels before departure.

Not condoning what happened as acceptable but if the donor pilot fall victim as well that was just complacency.
 
Juliet Hotel said:
...or you could just put the container under the drain and let gravity work its magic thus skipping the need to dig through dumpsters looking for a tube. I'm just sayin'.
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It’s possible, except on my plane, the sump is over the wheel pants. And what is the likelihood of “Mr great planner Pilot” of having a fuel container onboard his aircraft. So he has to scrounge the garbage for a container he could use. I can visualize that he is balancing that container on my pristinely painted wheel pant such that not only has he taken my fuel, he has scratched my paint. Being the nice guy he is, we all know that he got some additional garbage packing to prevent the scuffing of my paint, of course during his emergency fuel antics.
 
I'm still stuck at the concept of an emergency takeoff. Extreme inconvenience perhaps, but emergency, no.

I'm assuming he somehow ended up at one of those sleepy little unattended airports where someone shows up to fly once every couple weeks or so.
 
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