b"FUELINGGSP 57day, one tank is in receiving mode while the other is in settlingpleased, Howell remarks. Our contractors and design team did mode. Its standard practice to allow fuel to settle so unwantedan excellent job, especially with a tight timetable.sediment isnt pumped into fueling trucks and then possibly The airports added fuel capacity could prove to be very timely. into aircraft.We expect cargo traffic to increase in the future, says Howell. After the settling process is complete, the fuel farm operatorBMW is expanding its auto factory here, and we are seeing sends the fuel to one of the airports five original horizontal tanks.more cargo traffic to South Korea, Mexico and other European Each airport fuel truck driver communicates with the fuel stationcountries. We are well prepared to meet the demand for more manager on duty to learn which of the five horizontal tanks to use.fuel from these aircraft. And with our 11,000-foot runway, we can During the refilling process, drivers work with the on-site managerhandle any aircraft in the world. to make sure the correct amount of fuel is sent to their vehicles. Sophisticated computerized gauges are used throughout the process.Airport Improvement Ad ('23).ai 2 2/9/2023 7:49:01 AMWhen 747 cargo jets needed refueling, they usually require 20,000 gallons of fuel, which consumes most of one of the airports smaller 30,000-gallon tanks. When two or three of these jumbo jets land and need fuel, it is imperative that the process runs quicklyand smoothly.The new fuel operations facility was built within the fuel station to help make sure that happens. A manager and two quality control personnel are based at the station. In addition, GSP employs about 15 people who drive and service the eight fuel trucks based at the airfield. The largest trucks have 10,000-gallonEnvironmentalcapacities, so fueling personnel use two trucks simultaneously to expedite service for 747 cargo jets. These large international cargo aircraftC Travel the World. often have turnaround times of just two to four hours. They want to get serviced andY Protect the Planet.Mrefueled to allow the aircraft to move cargo to its next destination, Howell explains.CMOur experienced staff here can make that MYhappen.CYOvercoming ChallengesCMYInstalling the stainless-steel piping between theKnew and old tanks added time to the schedule. Larger airports such as GSP normally use carbon steel piping, says Rice. Welding stainless is a much slower process than that used for carbon steel.Working at this busy airport while not disrupting operations was another challenge. Scheduling changes were very frequent, says Rice. We had to schedule our work around planes that were late to arrive and/or had to be refueled to depart again. Staying flexible and reacting quickly was key.Despite such challenges, GSP officials consider the tank installations a success. This project went well, and we are veryMead & Hunt | Aviation . EXPERIENCE EXCEPTIONALAirportImprovement.comMarch | April 2023"