Ask an Aviation Fuel Quality Controller

[Celestial Panzerhund 289]

It's been a super long time since I've been back on here. So why not start with an AMA?

 

As title stated, I'm a Fuel Farmer for aviation. I like to rename it: "Aviation Fuel Quality Control and Storage Management",  cause it sounds fancier,  buuuuuut the "Fuel Farmer" is the real name for it. 

 

I can tell by going around my city and telling people what I do comes as a surprise cause it's practically an unheard of job, so I thought I'd share it here as a way to get back into the swing of things on here after not logging in for nearly 8yrs, also may give ideas for jobs people might be looking for, too. 

 

Below is a Filter Separator unit. An old one. Thought it'd be neat to see

Edited July 24, 2022 by Celestial Panzerhund

[Brony Number 42 10,069]

What qualifications do you need?

[Quinch 1,120]

What's that thing do, exactly?

[Celestial Panzerhund 289]

Basic math and understanding the severity of your job. A hassle, right?! 

 

But it can also depend on who ya work for and their requirements. My tasks are easy enough and a computer does 99.9% of the calculations already. I make sure the fuel is pristine going and and coming out.

[Celestial Panzerhund 289]

2 minutes ago, Quinch said:

What's that thing do, exactly?

Separates water and particants (dust, rocks, rubble) from the fuel itself to make sure its all nice and clean. 

[Celestial Panzerhund 289]

6 minutes ago, -Solstice- said:

What got you into this line of work?

That's gonna be a long answer

But to shorten it: I searched for a career outside of typical college. Found trade school. Went into AMT (Aviation Maintenance Technician) for an A&P (Airframe and Powerplant) license. 19mth course, finished it, now all I gotta do is test. And that's a whole 'nother dog to tame.

[Celestial Panzerhund 289]

10 minutes ago, -Solstice- said:

What would you suggest, for someone like me - who is not wanting to do College, as a career path?

Trade school. Something shorter and may be easier, depending on where ya go and how interested in the subject you are getting certificate/license for. You don't jump through any other hoops to learn anything else BUT the thing you're interested in. And there's plenty out there, just gotta find what sparks for you. I definitely tried college for a semester and found it to be like high-school with extra steps. Some might say 'stick with college it's for the best' and in some cases that may be right. Yet we all have different thought processes, functions, and talents; sometimes cookie-cutter profiles like college just doesn’t do good for some, but can be that good for others, too. Just gotta find where your shtick is.  

 

Ain't no rush in that

[Celestial Panzerhund 289]

@-Solstice-

I totally get that, hence why I ran through the trade school. Easier, cheaper, and if you got a certain certificate and license, you already have a value and skill set that's needed in an industry. 

 

And nah, Fuel Farmer is a job that doesn't have advances. Sure you can be a Fuel Farm Mechanic, and then up to a manager, and then regional, but that's gonna be a little bit more of a hassle to obtain. 

 

What I plan is to be that A&P technician and work on aircrafts themselves. The engines, framing... with the exception of avionics and sheet structures, I can pretty much pull that aircraft apart and put it back together again. 

[Celestial Panzerhund 289]

13 minutes ago, -Solstice- said:

@Celestial Panzerhund

Ironically my parents suggested that I become an aviation mechanic, thinking about it somewhat, it does seem interesting. I do think that like, working on oil pipelines, welding underwater, or similar such things may be possible paths for me.

Well it's certainly a start! I took a 19mth course so it was super fast paced. When normal courses take 24-32mths The testing to get the license is also animal you gotta tackle, too. The school itself is there to help you pass the test. And that said test comes with three categories and three sub categories:

Generals: essay, oral and practical

Airframe: Essay, oral and practical 

Powerplant: Essay, oral and practical

All can be taken separately over the course of 2yrs, or can be done at once, but each test costs ~$150 so if you fail it, you busted out that money for nothing. 

 

P.S. Essay testing isn't exactly "Essays" they call it that for some reason but it's more like

Edited July 24, 2022 by Celestial Panzerhund
Grammar

[Celestial Panzerhund 289]

@-Solstice-

 

Ha, thank you, but almost! I finished the schooling itself without much hassle. Only failing five tests in total and no repeated classes were had. All I gotta do is study the test questions and get the license so I can actually work on planes. 

[Celestial Panzerhund 289]

@-Solstice-

o7

Absolutely! If you'd like to try a watered down type of A&P That's more contract so you don't really require any experience in such a field, Panel Technician can be a good thing to do- for a while. I did it for 3mths and got out of it quickly. It definitely wasn't for me because of the fast paced manner. I'm more tedious and detail perfect, but it gets your hands in the plane!