Definition
A fuel delivery arrangement used on aircraft whose engine or fuel tank layout cannot rely on gravity to feed fuel to the engine. It uses one or more pumps to move fuel from the tanks, through the fuel lines and filters, to the carburetor or fuel injection system. Most fuel-pump systems include an engine-driven pump as the primary source of fuel pressure and an electric auxiliary (boost) pump used for engine starting and as a backup if the engine-driven pump fails.
Plain English
A setup that uses pumps, rather than gravity, to move fuel from the tanks to the engine. There is usually a main pump driven by the engine and a backup electric pump the pilot can switch on.
Context Anchor
Seen in fuel-system descriptions and in checklist steps for starting, takeoff, landing, and engine-failure troubleshooting.
Why Pilots Care
A malfunction can stop fuel from reaching the engine and cause power loss or complete engine failure.
Grounding Statement
In a low-wing airplane, the fuel tank may sit lower than the engine, so a pump is needed to push fuel up to the engine.
Intuition Check
Do not assume a fuel-pump system means there is only one pump or that the pump runs the same way in every airplane. In this FAA context, it means the aircraft uses pumps to deliver fuel when gravity alone is not enough.
Example Sentence 1
Because the Cherokee is a low-wing aircraft, it uses a fuel-pump system to deliver fuel from the tanks up to the engine.
Example Sentence 2
During normal cruise the engine-driven pump took over the work of the fuel-pump system.