The folks at Redbird Skyport in San Marcos, Texas, are getting a lot of calls and emails about their upcoming $1 a gallon avgas experiment during the month of October. To ensure there’s enough fuel to meet demand, officials have released a few guidelines for the experiment.
“The $1 avgas event at the Redbird Skyport has a lot of goals and one of them is to make sure that we can handle the additional demand,” says Jeff Van West, spokesman for Redbird Skyport. “Among the worst things that could happen would be running out of fuel before the next fuel delivery can arrive. We’ve received an overwhelming number of calls and questions about the terms and conditions of a sale like this. There aren’t many, but there are a few, so we thought we ought to address some of the most commonly asked questions ahead of the event.”
The purpose of this experiment is to study the effect that fuel price has on flying activity as well as understand how fuel price factors into the complete cost picture.
The offer is open to any piston-powered GA aircraft that can fly into San Marcos Municipal Airport under its own power. Only the regular tanks in the aircraft will be filled.
To maintain a reliable supply for everyone and keep delays to a minimum, the fueling limit is 200 gallons per aircraft per day. Aircraft requiring more than 200 gallons may purchase that additional amount at the regular price.
“We won’t fuel aircraft that we believe are violating the spirit of the experiment,” Van West said..
The $1 price is valid for the entire month of October during normal operating hours, 6am to 10pm.
There may be lines to get gas. If you expect to be in a hurry, we recommend you pre-register on the website or call 512-878-6670.
San Marcos Airport is a former military training airport and has acres of ramp space, so space for waiting or parking overnight is not a problem, he noted.
Data collected from pilots during the month will be aggregated before publication. Absolutely no individual personal information will be shared.
For more information: RedbirdSkyport.com
I don’t think this is going to prove anything, except that a lot of people will fly to the airport to fill their tanks less expensively. We see people drive twenty miles to save a dime per gallon in cars, I’m sure they will fly halfway across the country to save a hundred bucks! In my case, the need to fly someplace dictates 90% of whether I fly my Bonanza. If the fuel was free, the time is the bigger factor. This low-cost fuel thing primarily will affect the people who are flying 10 hours per year to get them to 20 hours.
This has to be the absolute stupidest idea I’ve heard of yet with the exception of the “Flying Car”!
This makes about as much CENT$ as:
Would you rent a nice late model G-1000 equipped C-172 for say $30/ Hobbs hour – BUT only during the month of October? YES: I’ll would save for that MONTH about $1,800 in retail cost – 85 and above IQ (appropriate ) answer!
NO: I already OWN a Cirrus SR-22 – have no NEED!
Now try this: If 100LL were FREE for one month, would you FLY more? THINK about this – be careful, this MAY be a trick question! (no borrowing your neighbors calculator in the next cubical!)
Have these “XPERTS* ” ever consulted ANYONE versed in basic economics???????????
*past tense
I have followed the news of this “event” since it was released a few weeks ago. I applaud your efforts at trying to stimulate general aviation by influencing the price of the “single thing” we all must have before we partake. If your effort is to see if GA would fly more if the fuel price was lower, then the point is missed. At $1 per gallon you may stimulate some flying that otherwise wouldnt have taken place but the price point you have chosen is not realistic (only subsidized-and we all know it doesnt grow on trees and the bucket will run dry). Regardless of burning 100LL or MO or something in between, we will never see an ongoing supply of any type of fuel at a buck a gallon. Your “experiment” would have more impact had fuel been priced at a level that was lower than what we currently pay, but realistic to what a typical “supply and demand” level would hold. If auto gas is $3.75/gl and a new “blend” could be priced at $4/gl, your experiment should have been validated at a more realistic price of $4/gl.
I am afraid that fuel a $1/gl came and went about 30 years ago and if any of us expect to be influenced by data from this time period, we are missing the boat. I am in full agreement that each and every one of us involved in GA must do everything in our power to protect and promote it, but this must be done with some reality applied (to it). If time permits, you may want to ask those who purchase your $1/gl fuel if they would have done the same at a discounted but more realistic price.
Good luck and thanks for trying to help the situation-just dont go broke in your efforts.