Fuel discharge, Do you know it?

Have you ever heard that planes release fuel? Yes, as you read it. Airplanes release some fuel to lighten the weight and not force the landing gear structure.

This process is called fuel spillage, and is nothing more than the release of thousands of gallons of fuel or kerosene into the atmosphere. This process must be carried out at high elevations to prevent kerosene from reaching the ground, it normally evaporates when it hits the ground. The fuel spill is normally carried out in emergency situations, however, it is occasionally used when the plane takes off and must land at the moment or when the pilot of the aircraft deems it convenient, despite this method as mentioned above is performed to evade the landing with overweight.

Despite the advantages of this process, not all airplanes are designed to discharge the fuel, as mentioned by buckerbook.es: “the Boeing 737 and 757, for example, do not have this capacity and do not really need it. On the other hand, Federal Aviation Regulations require that certain aircraft, such as the Boeing 747 for example, have a fuel injection system. The same goes for Airbus airplanes: the Airbus A330 and A380 can discharge fuel, while the A320 cannot.”

Now, surely you wonder how the release process is, and that is, the airplanes have a fuel injection system with valves and pumps, only with the operation of a cabin switch, the fuel is automatically released by means of valves found in the wings and at that moment the kerosene comes out and evaporates in the atmosphere. In addition, it ensures a landing with greater performance thanks to the release of overweight.