MANSFIELD, Ohio — “Good, clean fuel”–without that, the C-130H aircraft at the 179th Airlift Wing wouldn’t fly. Ensuring that each aircraft has adequate fuel, however, is not as easy as simply taking a trip to a service station. It requires its own section of unit members who are dedicated to this mission: Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants (POL).
Before the fuel even hits the skin of the aircraft, it has to be filtered twice, by minimum standards, said Senior Master Sgt. Jeff Divelbiss. At the local base, they filter the fuel three times, he said.
Master Sgt. Jeff Martin, who facilitates much of the lab work with POL, carries out a series of tests to make sure the fuel is not contaminated.
The Mansfield Air National Guard base’s C-130s are fueled with Jet A fuel, which is stored in two tanks that can hold up to 105,000 gallons each. Drivers transport fuel from the tanks to the the aircraft using trucks that can each hold about 6,000 gallons of fuel.
Three people are needed to help fuel the aircraft. Before fueling, they have to “ground” themselves in order to prevent generating static electricity. In a worst case scenario, a spark could ignite the vapors.
Master Sgt. Charles Christopher said safety is their number one priority.
“We pump 600 gallons a minute. That’s 10 gallons a second–you can’t throw it that fast, so if you have a three second spill, you’re looking at 30 gallons plus. That’s why we have procedures about how to shut down quickly, isolate, contain, and then safely evacuate,” he said.
The fuels specialists wear special equipment and ear protection. “When we’re going up to the line to fill, it can get loud,” Divelbiss pointed out.
They work closely with the crew chief, who notifies them when fueling is complete. “It can take anywhere from 15 minutes to about a half hour to 45 minutes to fill the plane,” said Divelbiss.
On average, they fuel the planes with 1,500-1,800 gallons of fuel. “How much we put in the plane is determined by how far they fly,” Divelbiss said, “But that’s an average.”
He noted, “Once we get all of our aircraft flying on a consistent basis, we’ll probably do one million gallons in a year, which is really nothing when you look at some of the bigger bases,” he said.
How often they fuel the planes varies from week to week. Christopher said they have fueled planes nine times in one day. Divelbiss noted that they also fill other military aircraft in addition to those at their base.
“Any military aircraft that lands here we can refuel as long as they’ve already made arrangements,” he said.
The work of a fuels specialist doesn’t solely focus on fueling, though. Additional responsibilities include receiving, storing and tracking all petroleum products. Divelbiss said they also operate a service station that has biodiesel and unleaded fuel for all of the vehicles at the base.
Whether aircraft or vehicles, POL makes sure they all “have their fill.”
Editor’s Note: This is the ffifth story in the “Embedded at the 179th” series.
“We pump 600 gallons a minute. That’s 10 gallons a second–you can’t throw it that fast, so if you have a three second spill, you’re looking at 30 gallons plus. That’s why we have procedures about how to shut down quickly, isolate, contain, and then safely evacuate,” said Master Sgt. Charles Christopher.
