Fuels division keeps Edwards' engines running Published Aug. 22, 2007 By Airman 1st Class Mike Young 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Edwards moves because of them. They provide the "food" necessary for a gamut of Team Edwards aircraft and ground vehicles to run. They are the 95th Mission Support Group's Fuels Supply Division, and they provide millions of gallons of fuel to the base every month. "We provide fuel for all aircraft flight tests at Edwards," said Arturo Cannella, 95th MSG fuels information service center manager. "Pilots are just pedestrians without it." The fuels supply process begins when the fuels division estimates the amount of fuel the base needs every month. They order it from different fuel distributors and it is delivered to the base's many fuel supply tanks by pipeline or truck. "Making sure the base has enough fuel is crucial to our mission," Mr. Cannella said. "Usually, we have a good idea about the amount we will need. Occasionally, we receive a surprise and have to act quickly to meet the demand." When the various types of jet and diesel fuel arrive, samples of the fuels are tested to make sure they're ready for use. Once the fuel is deemed serviceable, it's ready for distribution. Each aircraft can then call the fuels control center and place an order for the amount of fuel they need from the supply tanks. The control center takes the order, logs it in the system and dispatches a fuels distribution operator to the aircraft. "We coordinate all fuels operations everyday in the control center," said Dan Loa, 95th MSG lead fuels controller. "I ensure all the numbers add up and all operations are completed in a timely manner." Once the order has been placed, the method of delivering the fuel depends upon the size of the aircraft and the mission it is trying to accomplish, Mr. Cannella said. For larger aircraft, the fuel is usually delivered through a myriad of underground fuel lines to a fuels hydrant system. This system extracts fuel directly from the base supply tanks. The fuel team also dispatches a fueling rig, which acts as a portable gas station. The fueling rig connects to the hydrant on the ground and to the aircraft filling its larger tanks with one shot and in a timely manner. "We can get a truck out to the aircraft in about 11 minutes, but our goal is to be within a 30-minute response time," Mr. Cannella said. With the hydrant system, the fuels team doesn't need to send multiple tanker rigs to one aircraft. It allows those tanker trucks to assist smaller aircraft, which increases efficiency, Mr. Cannella said. Aside from filling aircraft, they also support equipment used on various on-base construction projects including the building of the new runway and the housing projects. They even deliver fuel to the base golf course. The fuels team is also trained in handling cryogenics such as liquid nitrogen and liquid oxygen. Cryogenics have several uses but are usually used for maintaining an aircraft's engines, Mr. Cannella said. Cryogenics are especially important for cooling the space shuttle when it lands at Edwards. When a space shuttle is expected to land, the cryogenics unit is put on full alert even if it is not expected to land at Edwards, he said. Whether the mission is on the ground patrolling the roads or in the air testing the future of our nation's air power, the fuels division on base keeps Edwards running on all cylinders.