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Aircraft Fuels and Systems Education and Training

Get aircraft fuels and systems education and training when your business is flying

By Cathy Salustri
Whether your business owns one plane or a fleet of aircraft, learning about aircraft fuels and systems can help you in the event of a mechanical issue with the aircraft fuel management system or the aircraft fueling equipment. If your business is flying, then you'll want to know as much as you can about airplane fuel systems, either so you can make minor repairs yourself or so you can properly manage your mechanics.

When getting aircraft fuels and systems education and training, realize that you're dealing with several different parts of the aircraft fuel system. Aircraft fuel management systems have three basic components:

1. Airplane fuel;

2. Aviation fuel pumps (including jet fuel pumps) and aircraft fuel lines; and

3. The overall aircraft fuel management system

 

Get airplane fuel safety training

Airplane fuel systems vary; what works in a jet engine won't work in a piston engine airplane. Understanding aircraft fuel system design should start with an understanding of aircraft fuels. Fuel safety training is also a part of aircraft fuels and systems education and training.
Try: Consider taking a aircraft fuels and aircraft fueling safety and training course like the one Snohomish County Airport offers. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) offers customized airplane fuels and airplane fueling education and training that it will bring to your place of business.

Understand the relationship between the aircraft fuel line and aircraft fuel pump

An aircraft fuel line transports aircraft fuel to the engine, but an aircraft also uses a fuel pump to get the avgas or jet fuel moving. Aviation fuel pumps work much like automotive fuel pumps. Aviation fuel pumps are part of an airplane's powerplant.
Try: Read a comprehensive article explaining how an aircraft fuel pump works at Aviation Week. For a more in-depth explanation of an airplane's powerplant system--including the aircraft fuel line system and aviation fuel pumps--read the aircraft powerplant section of the ground school study guide at Free Online Private Pilot Ground School.

Buy aircraft fuel system manuals and textbooks

Familiarize yourself with aircraft fuels and systems by getting--and reading--the manual for your specific aircraft fuel system. If you really want to know about the intricacies of aircraft fuel system design, then you can also study the books that airframe and powerplant mechanics study to get their certification.
Try: AvShop.com sells "A Pilot's Guide to Aircraft and Their Systems"; it has several chapters that deal with aircraft fuel systems. For a more in-depth reading list, check out the required textbooks for aviation maintenance students at the National Aviation Academy.

 

  • The next time your mechanic has to work on part of the airplane's powerplant system, hang around and ask questions. Peek you head underneath the cowling and look at the aircraft fuel system so you understand how your airplane fuel gets from the tanks in the wings to the engine.

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