G100UL Avgas Replacement Set to Soon Hit Pumps Going unleaded results in a cleaner fuel burn, no deposits, and no fouled plugs—all of which leads to reduced maintenance.
Richard Scarbrough, Flying Magazine
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"We stand at the dawn of a new age for general aviation. For years, the industry standard fuel, 100LL, dominated the market. Now a new player is entering the game, and they bring the hopes of a cleaner world with them.Over a decade in the making and countless hours of research, testing, and design bring us to this point in history. After a prolonged silence, the FAA finally issued the decree. Change has come at last."
"At this point, there are still more questions than answers. Instead of engaging in speculation, I went straight to the source and talked with GAMI president Tim Roehl, co-founder George Braly, and chief sidekick, their dog Moses. (OK, I didn’t specifically speak with Moses per se, but I am sure he was in the room.) |
When I asked how things were going, Roehl offered, “GAMI received the FAA’s fleetwide certification, and we stand at the ready to provide
the GA industry with a high octane, unleaded fuel. G100UL will offer tremendous advantages in engine maintenance and higher reliability. Roehl also mentioned that GAMI set up a website to try and quell the storm and answer questions owners, operators, and maintainers may have. The Q and A is in PDF format, so you can download it, share it, or post it on the wall in your hangar." Read the original article here. |
When the Sun Sets on 100LL, Will You Be Ready? Learn what you can do now to prepare for the changeover to unleaded fuel.
Richard Scarbrough, Flying Magazine
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Some airports now restrict the availability of 100 octane low-lead aviation gasoline—commonly referred to as 100LL avgas—and are mandating unleaded fuel instead. Although this practice is not common yet—and limited to a few locations—changes are coming to aviation fuel regulations. Here is what you can do now to prepare you and your aircraft for the eventual sunsetting of 100LL.
As more airfields adopt this policy, it could cause affect flight plans and significantly impact aircraft owners and pilots, especially those |
operating high-performance models.
Much like Tesla owners who now plan road trips based on the availability of charging stations along the route, flight plans will need an additional layer of forethought to ensure refueling at an airport still distributing 100LL. Read the original article here. |
FAA Studying Unleaded Avgas Transition
Russ Niles, AV Web
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The FAA has at least temporarily stopped its investigation into whether Santa Clara County in California is violating its grants agreement by refusing to sell leaded gasoline at county-owned Reid Hillview and San Martin Airport. In exchange, the county has agreed to consider taking part in a study into the transition process from leaded to unleaded fuels at airports across the country. The agency has agreed to stop its investigation until at least next August while Santa Clara officials mull over the FAA’s invitation.
They seem to be leaning toward being part of the study, |
however. “When the county banned the sale of leaded aviation gas at our airports, we did so to protect the health of those who live in our community, especially children, who have been unjustly exposed to harmful pollution for decades,” said County Supervisor Cindy Chavez, who represents the area surrounding Reid-Hillview Airport. “We would welcome the opportunity to showcase what we have done here in Santa Clara County, which can and should be replicated across the country.”
Read the original article here. |
We’re Getting the Lead Out, Aviation Groups Say In comments to EPA, aviation industry stakeholders reaffirm commitment for 100LL alternatives.
Meg Godlewski, Flying Magazine
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"The efforts to remove lead from aviation gasoline has taken another step forward as a coalition of stakeholders have formally submitted comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reaffirming their support for the removal of lead for avgas through what is described as a “safe and smart transition.”The coalition is made up of seven aviation stakeholder organizations, and includes the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), the Helicopter Association International (HAI), the National Air Transportation Association (NATA), the National Business
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Aviation Association (NBAA) and the American Petroleum Institute (API).
In their comments, the coalition emphasized that the elimination of lead from avgas is in the public interest, as it will reduce lead air pollution and applauded the industry’s continued work on an unleaded replacement that will meet both safety performance needs of the U.S. fleet of piston aircraft, as well as FAA regulatory requirements." Read the original article here. |
Leaders See Need for More Buy-in on SAF
Kerry Lynch, AIN Online
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"Heading into 2022, business aviation leaders have been encouraged about progress that has been and is being made on the sustainability front. But at the same time, industry leaders are aware that much work remains to be done not only in the advancement of initiatives such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) but also in attracting the buy-in of aircraft operators."
"However, while he noted “I don’t think we can embrace [SAF] quickly enough,” he also conceded that supply is an issue and overall “there’s a lot of work to do as an industry.”" |
"NATA president and CEO Timothy Obitts, speaking at his association’s Aviation Business Conference, underscored the importance of adoption. “On [reducing carbon] emissions, sustainable aviation fuel is a silver bullet to help us.” Noting discussions surrounding fears of SAF costing too much, Obitts said, “that is a narrow-sighted way to look at it.” SAF has “much higher” value, he said, noting the perception of business aviation globally and the flight-shaming that occurs."
Read the original article here. |
A Climate for Change: Embracing the Environment
Rick Domingo, FAA Flight Standards Service Executive Director
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"Because of its reliance on fossil fuels, the transportation sector, including aviation, has played a role in bringing us to the present challenge. But that also means that the transportation sector can — and must — play a role in finding and implementing solutions."
"It’s a lot better now but noise concerns are also among the biggest |
threats to the viability of our nation’s airports. We need to do better."
"Now more than ever, the FAA seeks to advance aviation in an environmentally responsible and energy efficient manner." Read original article here. |
Get the Lead Out! Looking at the Future of Avgas
By Paul Cianciolo, FAA Safety Briefing Associate Editor
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"The FAA shares the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) concerns about lead emissions from small aircraft. More than 167,000 piston-engine aircraft operating in the United States rely on avgas. Lead is a toxic substance that can be inhaled or absorbed in the
bloodstream, and emissions from avgas have become the largest |
contributor to the relatively low levels of lead emissions produced in this country."
Read the original article here. |
AV Web: Going to the Moon Was Easy Compared To 100UL
Paul Bertorelli
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"The EPA, you may recall, already has health-risk data and some of it is presented in the report. This has been the basis for the long-awaited Finding of Endangerment that would lead to rulemaking to force the issue for aviation. Without that ruling, the industry has simply had no incentive to get serious about an unleaded fuel, especially one that might require airframe, engine or fuel farm upgrades. Even minimal ones. And one that will certainly cost a little more."
"The NA data identifies runups as a major contributor to lead pollution. It recommends airports move runup areas away from where they might impact people likely to breathe the lead particulates. Not a bad suggestion, but I don’t know how practical it is." "the report says widespread use of 100VLL would reduce aviation lead pollution by 20 to 40 percent if combined with more use of UL94." "As have other researchers, the NA report estimates that up to 68 |
percent of the GA fleet could burn UL94, a lower-octane fuel that also has ASTM approval...The researchers recognize that widespread distribution of UL94 is unlikely because airports don’t want to invest in the tankage and owners aren’t demanding this grade of fuel. "
"In the end, the overarching reason we don’t have an unleaded aviation fuel is lack of public policy propelled by the utter absence of will—political, regulatory, scientific and market will. I suspect you’re not clamoring for a lead-free fuel and neither am I. We don’t need, as NA recommends, more study and research. We need leadership and a determination to force this issue with unambiguous policy, not the matrix of half-steps NA offers as a kind of surrender in lieu of doing the right thing. If the unleaded fuel costs a little more or requires some replacement parts in fuel systems, so be it. We need to get this done. " Read original article here. |
When Will We See Unleaded AvGas? Why getting lead out of aviation fuel won't be easy or cheap.
Rob Mark, Flyingmag.com
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"The dangers posed by lead’s carcinogenic toxicity, whether it’s inhaled or absorbed into the bloodstream, have been well-known for decades. Lead is particularly harmful to children during their developmental years. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began discussing a total ban on lead in automobile gasoline back in the mid-1980s and outlawed the heavy metal in all fuel sold in the United States nearly 25 years ago, with one exception: aviation gasoline, or avgas.
General aviation’s need for a high-octane fuel to power high-compression piston engines required avgas makers to add tetraethyl lead before delivery to prevent damaging engine knock, or detonation, that could result in engine damage. The higher the octane rating, the better the chances the fuel can be compressed without detonation. The FAA recently estimated that nearly 170,000 aircraft operate today on 100 low lead (LL) fuel, burning 150 to 175 million gallons annually. Tim Roehl, president of Ada, Oklahoma-based GAMI, a company that is creating an unleaded aviation fuel, says that’s about “one-tenth of 1 percent of what the fuel companies sell for automobiles, a tiny part of their revenue,” and it highlights why big fuel companies might have little motivation to alter their businesses to solve the problem. |
The FAA clearly realizes that avgas emissions have become the largest contributor to the relatively low levels of lead emissions produced in the United States. An FAA unleaded avgas transition aviation rule-making committee (UAT ARC) found in 2012 that "petitions and potential litigation from environmental organizations regarding lead-containing avgas have called for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to consider regulatory actions to eliminate or reduce lead emissions from aircraft." In 2010, the EPA published an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking against piston-engine powerplants using leaded avgas, although no action was immediately taken. The temporary reprieve for 100LL apparently occurred after the FAA agreed to begin the search for an alternative fuel, although the agency acknowledged a hurdle to the process. "No market-driven reason exists to move to a replacement fuel due to the limited size of the avgas market, diminishing demand, the specialty nature of avgas, [and the] safety, liability and the investment expense involved in a comprehensive approval and deployment process." Read original article here. |
The Long, Twisted And Slightly Ridiculous Story Of Avgas
Paul Bertorelli, AV Web
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