b'52 ICT FUELINGwith this project, we were able to phase the work and install theThere was nothing else out here when the airport was built in new tie-ins without discontinuing service. 1954, Stone notes. There was no infrastructure; no roads for fuel Its very technical work, he continues. Its like replacing thetrucks to get in and out. So a pipeline made sense at the time.nervous system of the facility, but you have to keep the heartWere fortunate to have it because fuel trucks create a lot of pumping and the blood flowing. wear and tear on roads.Fossett emphasizes that contractors have to understand how fuel farms work to phase projects to meet design requirementsSuccessful Endeavorand still maintain operations during construction. Planes dontStone praises the teamwork and skill of the contractors that wait, he comments. They have to fly. worked on the project, as well as cooperation from Signature Flight Support, the fixed base operator that manages the fuel farm At ICT, jet fuel isnt delivered by trucks. Instead, its supplied byunder the supervision of Terry Bottoms.a 24-mile pipeline that runs from an oil company holding facility.The project went very well and everyone involved did a great job, says Stone.Fossett highlights the importance of effective planning, phasing and design. The upgraded system gives the airport the storage and regulatory compliance it needs, he adds. The new system should meet the airports demands for years to come.If all goes as planned, the two now-empty Avgas storage tanks will be converted to jet-fuel tanks within the next few years. The conversion will be more complicated than the recent upgrades to the other six tanks because the Avgas tanks werent designed to store and dispense jet fuel.It will take a little longer because the tanks will require the installation of additional components, Stone says.Getting the Lead OutAirport officials decided to stop selling fuel for piston aircraft in 2017 because of the increasing liabilities linked to disposing Avgas if it ever degrades.Disposal regulations keep getting stricter because of the fuels lead content, Stone explains. Plus, we didnt sell a lot of it anyway, and one of our FBOs now supplies Avgas.The upgraded fuel farm positions ICT to accommodate more commercial airlines and also eases concerns from current carriers about maintaining adequate on-site fuel reserves.Its something the carriers wanted, Stone says. If the pipeline would ever go down, they would like a bigger buffer there and an additional 50,000 gallons of capacity will give us that bigger buffer. More fuel storage capacity also will position us for further growth, he adds. We hope to get more carriers and theyll all need fuel. October 2022AirportImprovement.com'