Chapter 193

At seven we met the fuel company on the airport access road. We had four jets that would hold all the fuel that was on the refueling truck and there were several refills needed on the tarmac. Several more were scheduled to return today; that would finish out the first tanker. Lorrie had shifted around planes to make flights - with no fuel at the island - a complicated matter and all of our planes were nearly empty.

We had an audience as soon as the fuel truck rolled through the opened gate, several with cameras. The Carolina Aviation fuels salesman went through a complete training program with our guys and me. He described what every knob, switch and pull lever did and why. He had a notebook that belonged in the truck at all times and one for our files.

After the hands on, he had another book with the refueling procedures on every jet we owned and leased. Each one had colored pictures of where every valve position needed to be on the plane and also on the truck. Our two guys and I each refueled a plane using the guide with the salesman looking over our shoulder. He insisted we use the guide and offered information to clarify a particular instruction or answer a related question.

The truck ran out of fuel on the plane I was refueling.

The tankers followed us to the gym. After they were put on planks to keep them from settling into the ground - if we had a downpour - there was another hands-on demonstration on how refill the fuel truck.

The process was started and 300 gallons pumped in, then all hoses were disconnected and another person started and ended. The process repeated until we had each done it three times and we all felt comfortable with it. I would most likely not refuel a plane or refill the truck but I wanted to know the procedure in case we had any problems.

As a transportation driver in the Marines I had ferried fuel many times. The setup in this truck was much easier. Probably that was because this was a new truck with all the latest filters and all the valves were air operated. I needed sunglasses; the stainless steel tank was so polished.

Before the end of day we had used 10,000 gallons of Jet A getting all the planes back full and the county airport authority was out 15 thousand dollars. Lorrie ordered another trailer of fuel to replace the empty one.

The icing on the cake was when our fuel truck had to refuel the County EMS chopper. They had not received a notice that there was no county fuel at the Island airport and they had had a very busy morning. Once they had landed, by regulation they did not have enough fuel onboard to take off again.

Again the news team was at the airport following the fuel story. Various stations had been in and out all day. The news team recorded the shouting match between the county divisions and then us refueling their chopper. They even recorded our mechanic refusing to take any money for the fuel.

Robby had called for permission to refuel the chopper. I told him to do it and take no money, and to tell them, "The community needs the chopper on duty more than we need the money." He was to just run a ticket and write on it 'Donation to Queens Anne County' with the chopper N number so Marcy could account for the fuel. A meter ticket was done on every plane refueled for accounting. With Marcy every nickel needed to be accounted for.