RAFFCA Fuel Issues

The issue of fuel, fuel suppliers and fuel storage has been a main topic of many a RAFFCA meeting. Lowering the cost of fuel, including the storage overheads, helps the achievement of one of RAFFCA's aims in keeping the overall cost of flying down. This page has been put together to provide guidance to RAFFCA member clubs and publish bulleted points from the experience of others.

General Info: CAP 434 and CAP 074 (Aircraft Fuelling: Fire Prevention & Safety Measures) are no longer available. They were superseded by CAP 748 on 30.07.2004.

AVGAS SUPPLIES FOR RAFFCA CLUBS – THE RAF BENSON FLYING CLUB EXPERIENCE

• Invest in a Bowser – Ours came from Flightline Services at Minster Lovell but shop around - there are many out there.
• Assess your needs – there’s little point in buying a 40000L road bowser truck to refuel a couple of C152s twice per week!
• A 2000L trailer bowser with a diesel pump will cost about £12000.
• Make sure that your bowser is bunded and AVGAS certified.
• If there is AVGAS available through ‘military’ sources use it!
• Set up an account with the Defence Billing Agency (SCAF will advise) and use the letter in the Minutes to the 6th RAFFCA AGM to obtain fuel at ‘Other Government Department’ (OGD) rates.
• There are good deals out there from commercial companies but watch the detail in the contracts – some require prodigious turnover before the discounts kick in.
• Make sure that you comply with legislation – especially important when taking the bowser on the road.
• Be very careful selling fuel:
  • It is unlikely that your bowser will have a legal ‘resale’ meter.
  • If word gets out that you have cheaper fuel for sale your Stn Ops will be pestered!
  • There are tax implications.
  • The paperwork is bound to be complex and the profit not worth the effort..
• If you get fuel from eg. VT Aerospace, foster a good relationship with the bowser driver – at Benson they have their own key to the bowser and fill it up whenever they get a chance… we rarely have to arrange for a delivery.
• Be prepared for the availability of fuel to cause an expansion in the Club – we had to change our electric pumped 1000L item for a 2000L diesel pumped bowser because the increased useage kept destroying the pump.
• When we bought the 1000L trailer we needed to refill it about once per week; when we made the change we were using 4000L per week – will your bowser be able to cope with increased demand?

If you want to discuss any of this give me a call on 01865 402291 or drop me an email on  ceooxonacf@serfca.org

Mark Batin
Jan 2008