Microlighters

My trike was damaged in hanger by storm wind, (long story) and is in for repairs with a well respected AP in our area. It is an Aquila 582. Because I live quite far away from any person that can work legally on trikes, I asked him to do a proper check-over and also to fit a fuel pump which the trike doesn’t have. He said that a well maintained trike with a pilot that refuels his trike himself, don’t need a fuel pump. In fact he mentioned an incident where a fuel pump caused an engine out. After listening to his explanation I agreed not to have the pump fitted. It did make sense that with clean fuel, a pump is just another obstacle where something can go wrong.

Although this topic has been discussed in depth on this forum, (there are guys that fit a 2nd pump) I would like to hear what the forum has to say about this. Why? Because I have more hours pushing my 2 year old girl’s pram than on my trike.

Almost every blik aerie has a standby pump you engage and disengage during crutial portions of the flight...take off & landing. If the primary fails during these stage you are in big trouble. In a micro not so much, but still...In addition I have heard about more cases where the standby pump helped, and only one case i.e. yours that it caused a failure. I would like to know what happened.

PS: just FYI I don't have a standby on my current trike. But If I find the time and inclination I will fit it...

Regards
Rudi

Have to agree with rudi on this one. The pump should never be the cause of a engine out. And if it give you peace of mind, fit one. I use mine to saturate the carbs before I start. That way my engine start much easier than before and is much less strain on the battery.

Good one Wargames, I forgot how convenient it was to PRIME the carbs via the electric pump on my old trike, before a start!

Yip - Gotta agree with all postings above. Know of a few instances where a "nasty" was avoided just by switching on the fuel pump. Allowed the pilot to make it back home. no fuel pump?? might have been a different result.....

I can understand that sort of comment regarding a balistic because they are expensive and if you look after your plane and fly in good weather only and and and and then you may never need one. But an electric fuel pump is cheap and could save your life.

SHIT HAPPENS even if you manage your fuel well etc etc. If I was an AP I would never talk someone out of it. Imagine how he would feel if you crashed as a result of fuel starvation. All for a couple of hundred bucks.

I have never had to switch mine on in a hurry but feel a lot more comfortable putting it on when over water, bush or taking off on fields with no places to make a low level emergency landing.

Saved my ass and definately worthit

I had replaced a fuel tank, suitably flushed the new one out (or so I thought). within 5 hours the fuel filter had blocked, from microscopic fibres I could not see in the tank. This happened over bad terrain, with landing spots, that would be survivable but aerie destroyable.

The motor started loosing rpm, and coughing. Before it could die I switched the standby on, the motor surged back to full rpm in another sec of two, the additional pump having enough pressure to force the fuel through the filter. Climbed as high as possible and started looking for good landing spots. Managed to hop from spot to spot until finally over the airfield and a safe landing happened. Found the previously clean filter choked up.

Fuel starvation can and does happen. without the pump, you are looking for landing, withit, you stand a far better chance

A freeflow standby pump should never be a problem, rather a solution

Yes Thatchman, the same guy that had the fuel pump point of view, also reckens that a balistic will only help you when you loose a wing. In any other scenario a balistic will not ensure less damage to you and the aerie during an emergency. ??

Thatchman wrote:I can understand that sort of comment regarding a balistic because they are expensive and if you look after your plane and fly in good weather only and and and and then you may never need one. But an electric fuel pump is cheap and could save your life.

SHIT HAPPENS even if you manage your fuel well etc etc. If I was an AP I would never talk someone out of it. Imagine how he would feel if you crashed as a result of fuel starvation. All for a couple of hundred bucks.

I have never had to switch mine on in a hurry but feel a lot more comfortable putting it on when over water, bush or taking off on fields with no places to make a low level emergency landing.

Agreed with in full,

I have one and it is used on t/o & landing, flying over rough terrain, water etc.. (also primes the carbs before startup)

Like what has been said already, its a cheap item to purchase and easily fitted - worth every cent.
Rather have it than not !

I'll put it a little stronger than the other guys...........that Ap is talking K@k, with a capital K. You can have the cleanest fuel on earth but that's NOT gonna help you when the fuel pump fails
Fit the back-up pump and get it over and done with and fly with peace of mind.
Wanna know what kinda k@k you can get into when the fuel pump fails, then just go ahead and read my story in the latest Afskies

On my 912 I have a Pierburg fuel pump, that looks identical to the one that was fitted to my old Passat. Got stuck twice in the time that I had the car, because of fuel pump failure. Does the pump on the Rotax motor know it is on an aircraft, and therefore must behave better than his brother that was fitted to a motorcar? I doubt it.
I believe an auxilliary fuel pump is a good idea.

Regards,
Arnulf

I had one on my previous trike and have been meaning to fit one on my new one but have not got round to it yet. Seems like this might be the kick in the @ss I needed to get things sorted out!
Where is the best place to purchase one and are there different types and specs you have to adhere to??

I have a 582 on my skyranger and only had the mach pump on and if i need to start her up after 2 or 3 weeks had to swing that starter until the batt was flat and then had to propstart or bring the jumpercables and a vechile to start. I fitted a elect pump and after the 2nd turn the motor started what a plessure wil never take it off .I think there is a better chance of durt entering the carbs when you take off the bols of the carb to fill it up every time the plane has not been flown for some time, not even talking of the gaskets and the wear on the carbs .When you fly whitout the elect pump you look like this and after you have fitted the elect pump you can fly like this

Sad-Ham wrote: Where is the best place to purchase one and are there different types and specs you have to adhere to??

The Facet pump mod nr 40242 [low pressure 1,5 -4psi] is available from your Midas dealer. This info appears in this forum. I have done the serial installation on my Rotax 582. What a pleasure to start and good to know its there.[peace of mind]. Only use it for take-off, landings and the rare cases of low flying. Tank .... filter..... backup pump .....filter .....diaphram pump..... carburettors.

The only thing to watch for is the electric pump pushing fuel through the carbs and overflowing. I have had this when the float level was not adjusted correctly and fuel was being pushed between the needle and seat. Once adjusted no problem.

I noticed this problem after doing circuits with the pump on, I noticed fuel along the side of the aerie. On the ground I switched the pump on and noticed the fuel overflowing out of the breather pipes on the one carb.