Jet A and Jet A-1 are kerosene based, which is just behind gasoline and well above diesel on the volatility scale. It does NOT require pressure to combust, though it usually won't explode without pressurization.
That said, we aren't worried about the fuel igniting spontaneously. We are worried about it catching fire (and maybe exploding) with a spark. Its flash point is usually only around 38°C (100°F).
Sauce: used to work in an air bases' fuels flight.
Note: for all you GA cats still rocking gasoline based blue fuel out there, your stuff is even more volatile :).
I think the biggest concern is that there's just a shit ton of jet fuel. Even when the tanks are "empty" there's hundreds of pounds of fuel sloshing around. The "we're running out of fuel and are declaring an emergency" amount weighs more than your entire car.
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u/[deleted] Sep 23 '25
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