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Old 04-13-2008 | 07:17 PM
  #14  
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Crashman
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From: Lying Groaning in the Wreckage
Talking Wing-fuelling in the sleeting rain...

Originally Posted by ryane946
I worked line service when I was 18 during the summer. It was an awesome job that paid very well for me at the time. It was fun work. I got to meet a lot of people, and I learned a lot of interesting stuff that I am and will continue to apply in my flying career.

I agree that all pilots should have to do a "tour of duty" as a lineman (1-3 months). It is a great learning experience.

I have never worked line service in the cold/rainy winter, so I feel for those guys.
AMEN! Nothing like ladder-climbing up on the cold slippery wing of some big chartered old turboprop bird while dragging a monster-heavy hose + brass nozzle, trying to shield the fuel port from the rain, sleet & runoff-water with your own freezing body and hands while setting the anti-paintscratch mat around it and opening it, then finally getting some Jet-A flowing that hits some weird internal tank-structure and backblasts at high pressure right into your eyes!

End result, you lose your grip on the nozzle + all control of the hose and it slithers back down off the wing, scratching the paintwork all the way while you're rolling around blind on a slippery freezing wing in intense pain, in the sleeting rain, still trying desperately to cover the open fuel port against the water and sleet with your body AND clear your eyes and not-very-protective safety glasses from the eye-burning kerosene while wearing wet heavy leather gloves. And when you finally do, you see every face at the pax windows staring out at you with mixed horror, dismay, open fear, amazement, amusement - but never any sympathy! Then you get to put the fuelcap back on, climb BACK down the ladder, retrieve the hose and anti-paintscratch-mat (hah!) and go back up there again and try a different nozzle-angle this time.

All this is performed in front of a 100%-fascinated lineup of pax with their noses against the windows, and while wondering which one of them is gonna go up to the front office and inform the Captain that there is an insane man on his wing rolling around in agony rubbing his eyes, shooting jet fuel everywhere, and scratching the hell out of his expensive paintwork...

Let's hear it for underwing single-point refuelling!
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