RIGHT SEAT RULES NO. 16 FUEL SYSTEMS WHY SO COMPLICATED?

You know those aggranoying people who say, “Oh I wouldn't fly in one of those little things - you can't just pull over and fix it if something goes wrong"? What makes this particularly irritating is that the bastards are right.

- JIM DAVIS

PUPES, PILOTS AND INSTRUCTORS lend me your ears. By far the most common reason for aeroplanes to ‘break down’ is because the pilots didn’t understand the fuel system.

There are at least twenty things that you have to know about your aircraft’s plumbing if you plan on a long and healthy future in aviation. I’ll tell you about them in a moment.

Now, let’s see how that compares with a car which has just three that are nice to know:

• Which side the filler is on

• How to open it while sitting in the car

• It’s still got some gas after it shows ‘E’

You don’t even need to know whether it’s petrol or diesel – the refuelling guy will tell you if you are interested.

And if you don’t get these things right in your car, the worst that can happen is that you have an unplanned stop while you phone the AA.

You really don’t have to understand cars, or your watch, because they just keep working despite your ignorance.

Okay cowboy – we are not talking about your boet’s E-type with triple SUs, and we won’t mention Land Rovers – we are thinking of normal little boxy cars that all look the same and don’t break down.

But aeroplanes are not that easy – and they DO give trouble, and phoning the AA won’t increase your life expectancy. So let’s look at those 20 things you need to understand in order to avoid a worrying silence ahead of the firewall.

1) Fuel Gauge