Refueling PD ships

[rotor91]

Question for the PD pilots:

 

Do you ever after to refuel at another aiport, other than your designated one? If so, do you use a company credit card? I honestly don't know. I know ENG do this sometimes, but didn't know about PD pilots. I figured youi'd fly your patrols, and end up back at base, then refuel and start over. Is the latter correct?

 

Thanks in advance-

R91

[delorean]

The police in our area have a contract with the FBO they're located in.....so it's not like they have their own tank or anything. I'm sure they get a deal, but its still "per the gallon" as I understand it.

 

Our [EMS] company has a contract called "IntoPlane" in which they agree to buy so many million gallons a year from Phillips or another company. When we land at a participating FBO, we get a receipt for $0 and it just comes out of the gallon balance. If they're not on a contract, we have a MutliService Fuel Card, an AvFuel Card, and the last resort, the VISA debit card or cash.

 

We used to be able to "trade" fuel with all the local guys. If they needed fuel, they'd just take it out of our tank and leave us a note. Then we'd pump the same out of their tank (or have the FBO bill them) next time we stopped in their airport. Worked great, but our accounting office didn't like how it wasn't being tracked to the penny, fluctuating rates, etc. Plus, our company got so big that in the mean time they bought a fuel distribution & trucking company--so corporate could be held liable for a fuel contamination issue now that we owned our supplier, blah, blah. Ah, the good ole days.......

[rotor91]

The police in our area have a contract with the FBO they're located in.....so it's not like they have their own tank or anything. I'm sure they get a deal, but its still "per the gallon" as I understand it.

 

Our [EMS] company has a contract called "IntoPlane" in which they agree to buy so many million gallons a year from Phillips or another company. When we land at a participating FBO, we get a receipt for $0 and it just comes out of the gallon balance. If they're not on a contract, we have a MutliService Fuel Card, an AvFuel Card, and the last resort, the VISA debit card or cash.

 

We used to be able to "trade" fuel with all the local guys. If they needed fuel, they'd just take it out of our tank and leave us a note. Then we'd pump the same out of their tank (or have the FBO bill them) next time we stopped in their airport. Worked great, but our accounting office didn't like how it wasn't being tracked to the penny, fluctuating rates, etc. Plus, our company got so big that in the mean time they bought a fuel distribution & trucking company--so corporate could be held liable for a fuel contamination issue now that we owned our supplier, blah, blah. Ah, the good ole days.......

 

Thanks for the info D!!

R91

[Flying Pig]

We buy our fuel in bulk, several thousand gallons at a time, then pay the local FBO a handling fee to pump it for us. We carry a credit card to buy fuel when we have to land elsewhere. This usually results from some operational need that prevented us from breaking from the call and heading home. If its on a call where we will be needed for several hours, we have a fuel trailer we can bring to the scene a just fuel up in farmer Johns corn pasture.

[EAGLE1]

We have a multi service card through the federal government. FBO's agree to a government rate price ahead of time and you use it like a credit card. They pump the fuel and you sign the ticket for what ever the going rate is. When the bill comes you are billed at the government rate which is ususally around half the going rate. It is available through the GSA to any government agency.