Allen provides refuelling services
Derek Neary
Northern News Services
Fort Simpson (Apr 13/01) - That's Kevin Allen in the brown, two-tone van racing out to the airport.
Through K&J Enterprises, he's held the refuelling contract at the Fort Simpson airport over the past year. Although he's easy to spot during the day, he's also on the go at any given hour on any given night. Calls come for all sorts of unexpected visitors, particularly medevac flights.
Allen sells aviation fuel and "Jet B" fuel, each kept in 25,000 litre tanks. All turbine engines run on Jet B fuel while piston-driven engines use the 100 low lead aviation gas, he explained.
Filling up a plane is similar to filling up a vehicle in some respects. Allen said he learned the differences through "trial by fire" (not literally, fortunately). Airplane fuel tanks differ in size and can be located in different places. For example, some are under the wing, others are above the wing.
"Some are rubber bladder, some are metal tanks," he said. "Some you have to be really careful when you put the nozzle in them because you could rupture the tank."
Climbing atop the airplanes can be tricky too, with surfaces that are sometimes slippery. Wind gusts can also play havoc.
The contract he holds is with Esso. He said he wanted it because he sees potential for aviation traffic to increase in the future, making his job more lucrative. The most fuel he has sold on a single occasion was 4,000 litres to Canadian Armed Forces Buffalo. However, with resource development or a busy fire season, Allen would reap the benefits of high volume sales.
A visit by a 737 jet or a Hercules would be like hitting the jackpot, but he hasn't seen either of those yet in Fort Simpson.
In addition to providing fuel, he also hauls air mail for Canada Post to and from the airport and does janitorial work at the terminal.
"I'm your do-it-all kind of guy," he said.
