"I LIKE TO RUN THE TANKS DRY in my airplane. It keeps the carb clean," said no pilot, ever. Yet each year, the NTSB accident database fills with stories of pilots making forced landings because they ran out of fuel. While these events seem ludicrous, the fact that it happens so frequently tells us that we are not as impervious to such blatant mistakes as we like to believe. Let's face it, refueling our airplanes is not high on our list of things to look forward to. At least with our cars, we drive up to the gas pump, swipe our credit card, fill 'er up, and drive away. No grounding wires to attach. No long, heavy hoses to drag around the other side of the car after one side is topped off. No rewinding of the fuel hose back onto its reel. And no climbing on top of the car the way we have to do with high-wing aircraft.
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