Southern Cross Campus
Aircraft Refueller Kaiwhakakī Waka Rererangi
Aircraft refuellers fill aircraft with fuel at airports.
Aircraft refuellers may do some or all of the following:
- follow schedules that say what time the aircraft to be refuelled will arrive
- check and maintain the vehicles that transport fuel
- fill aircraft with fuel from vehicles
- regularly check fuels for contaminants such as water
- follow strict safety procedures when filling aircraft and transporting fuel
- communicate with pilots and airport ground crew.
Physical Requirements
Aircraft refuellers need to have a good level of fitness and strength because they work with hoses that weigh between 10 and 15 kilograms.
Aircraft refuellers also need to be in good health, without any heart conditions. They must pass an annual medical examination.
Useful Experience
Useful experience for aircraft refuellers includes:
- a mechanical background
- tanker or truck-driving experience
- experience handling chemicals, fuels and dangerous goods.
Personal Qualities
Aircraft refuellers need to be:
- quick-thinking and able to make good judgements
- able to work well under pressure
- accurate, methodical and patient in their work
- able to work independently and in a team
- safety-conscious
- good communicators.
Skills
Aircraft refuellers need to have:
- ability to use and maintain refuelling equipment
- knowledge of different types of fuel
- knowledge of the safety rules and regulations that apply when working at an airport.
Conditions
Aircraft refuellers:
- usually work eight to 12-hour shifts during the day or at night
- work at airports on the tarmac and runways, and in airport terminal buildings, hangars and freight buildings
- work in most weather conditions, and often in noisy, hazardous situations
- may travel locally between airports and bulk oil depots.
Subject Recommendations
There are no specific secondary education requirements to become an aircraft refueller. However, construction and mechanical technologies is useful.
Aircraft Refuellers can earn around $55K-$65K per year.
Pay for aircraft refuellers varies depending on their skills and experience.
- New aircraft refuellers usually earn $55,000 to $65,000 a year.
- Experienced aircraft refuellers can earn up to $75,000.
These rates include a base salary as well as an allowance for working extra shifts.
Source: Air BP, 2018; and Z Energy, 2018.
Aircraft refuellers may progress to work in supervisory or managerial roles, which can involve training new aircraft refuellers and doing administrative work.
They may also move into maintenance roles.
Years Of Training
<1 year of training required.To become an aircraft refueller you need to have:
- a Class 4 or 5 (full) heavy vehicle driver's licence
- a dangerous goods (D) endorsement on your driver's licence.
Because aircraft refuellers work at airports they need to have security clearance, so they must not have any criminal convictions.
Once employed, aircraft refuellers must attend at least six weeks of on-the-job training. During this time they learn about fuel quality sampling, the correct amounts of fuel for specific aircraft, and fire and emergency drills.
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