How can aircraft be refueled or de-fueled?

• A. With or without electrical power, or with engines operating. De-fueling does not require electrical power unless the quantity of fuel is to be monitored.
• B. Only with engines off and electrical power available.
• C. Only in flight with external power.
• D. Refueling is not possible in flight.

Answer: (A)

Fuel transfer depends on the power sources available and the equipment in use, not on a single fixed condition. You can move fuel into or out of the aircraft using the aircraft’s electrical pumps, or using pumps driven by the engines, or even by gravity with ground equipment. The key point is that electrical power is needed mainly if you want to monitor and display how much fuel is being transferred or how much remains. Without that monitoring, defueling or fueling can happen without electrical power.

This is why the option that describes refueling or defueling as possible with or without electrical power, and with engines operating, is best. It also aligns with the reality that in-flight refueling (aerial refueling) occurs with the aircrafts’ systems active and engines running, while ground operations can be performed under various power conditions depending on what equipment is available. The statement that fueling is restricted to only with engines off, or that it cannot be done in flight, or that it requires external power in flight, does not reflect the flexibility and realities of naval aviation fuel handling.