DUBLIN, Texas — Dublin Municipal Airport (K9Fo) is now selling unleaded UL94 aviation gas for piston aircraft in collaboration with Swift Fuels.
Using a specialized fuel dispensing unit, Swift Fuels will be the only on-site fuel distributed at Dublin Airport, which is located approximately 100 miles southwest of Dallas/Fort Worth.
The announcement comes just days before Dublin Airport’s St. Patrick’s Day Fly-in event, taking place March 16-17, 2018. Gyroplanes and Piper Comanche aircraft will be featured at the event, although all pilots are welcome to participate.
The nationwide transition to unleaded aviation gasoline continues to pick up momentum for Swift Fuels, which distributes the only commercially-available unleaded avgas, UL94, to more than 50 airports and private users across the United States, according to Swift officials.
“As we began our airport revitalization efforts, I began looking for a fuel product that would serve a majority of the piston engine fleet, while making a statement that Dublin, Texas, was looking to the future,” said Brad Stanford, Dublin airfield manager. “I polled the light sport pilots about mogas, and discovered that there was no viable mogas option tailor-made (and insured!) for piston aircraft use throughout the central Texas corridor. During that conversation, one of the reps for the Bush Cat LSA suggested that I contact Swift Fuels, so I did. I discovered this FAA-approved, ethanol-free, unleaded aviation gas, and I knew we had to have it. We’re excited to be on the cutting edge of aviation to be first in offering Swift UL94 to the state of Texas.”
“We are working with regulators, aircraft/engine OEMs, pilots, airports, municipalities, airport boards, and supply chain folks as a part of a multi-year initiative to educate the market on the vast benefits of unleaded avgas,” said Swift Fuels CEO Chris D’Acosta. “The business leaders at forward-thinking, early-adopters like Brad Stanford at Dublin recognize the growing demand for cleaner fuel options for their customers, and they are playing an integral role in the transition. As an industry, we could no longer allow leaded fuel to continue to damage to our customers’ aircraft, as well as continue to harm our environment. We are extremely proud to have our UL94 avgas available for piston aircraft use at Dublin.”
Swift Fuel’s Unleaded 94 MON avgas is sold nationwide. Company officials note it is not a full replacement for 100LL, so only those aircraft with engine/airframes requiring 94 motor-octane fuels or lower are compatible, which represents 65% of the US piston fleet.
………okay, so how will those using this fuel deal with the damage done to their engines from using a no-lead fuel? The lead in Avgas is used to lubricate the valves in all current aircraft engines. When auto gas manufacturers went to all no-lead gas, automobile engines up to that time could not burn unleaded gasoline without damaging the engine’s valves. Over time, auto engine manufacturers replaced the valves and valve seats with hardened valves and seats that was able to operate without the lubrication from the leaded gas. Existing auto engines up to that time either had to have their valves and guides replaced with hardened valves and guides or buy an new automobile with an engine that had updated valves and guides. Doable with an auto engine whose cost then was around $2k to $3k. But to replace the valves and guides in an aircraft engine, or replace the engine with one that can use unleaded Avgas, will be an extremely expensive venture. As most aircraft owners know, a new aircraft engine can cost upwards of $30,000. Just replacing the valves and guides alone is a big expense in an aircraft engine costing several thousand dollars at best. So answer me this……….why reinvent the wheel? The oil companies say they don’t manufacture enough Avgas to justify their expense of manufacture. The number of aircraft that can, eventually, burn unleaded fuel will probably not change significantly from the number now burning leaded Avgas. So the end result will be much higher fuel prices to, now, not only offset the cost of manufacturing unleaded Avgas but also to recover their cost of tooling, etc. to produce this brand new unleaded Avgas. Tell me how this will benefit the already struggling general aviation community. Then there are those that say unleaded Avgas in aircraft will help save our environment. Studies have shown that there are not enough general aviation aircraft flying that use leaded Avgas to have any measureable effect on the environment. So again, what is the benefit to the general aviation community to go to this new fuel? I would sincerely like to hear thoughts on this issue.
William,
Please clarify “The lead in Avgas is used to lubricate the valves in all current aircraft engines” as I can not think of a single aircraft I fly that uses lead to lubricate the valves. Do any of the newer 912/914, or 915 engines in particular need lead? In fact many certificated aircraft engines specifically say to avoid lead as it fouls the spark plugs, oil, and actually can stick valves. Many of Continental’s new engines such as the IO-360AF do not need lead, and specifically list unleaded fuel on there data sheets. The environmental benefits are just a bonus, the main benefit of unleaded avgas is better, safer newer technology aircraft engines. Like it or not leaded avgas is going away. Keeping it around is causing more harm then good as it is difficult to make a modern, efficient, reliable aircraft engine compatible with the lead containment.
I don’t know if my engine can use UL94 or not , so if that is the only fuel, then I won’t be landing there.
Exciting to see Swift making progress with the distribution of this fuel! Looks like it is $4.10 gal: http://www.airnav.com/airport/9F0
It’s slow going, but this could be a major step forward. I appreciate going slow so we don’t find any unexpected consequences that could cost major problems.
no mention of price? I would expect it to be about the same as 93 oct. car gas.
Silly. No fuel will be distributed nationwide until it can service the entire piston fleet. While 65% of the fleet can use the 94 stuff, the other 35% consume 70% of the avgas. Non-economic for the producers and distributors to have 2 fuels for a declining piston fleet.
…no mention of fuel price…what is the current and expected future fuel price?…mfm
Disappointing that this article did not lis prices. Yes it indicated that Swift UL94 is cheaper than 100LL, but how much cheaper?
Interesting still no mention of $ cost.
This will keep aircraft owners using 100ll & “cutting it” with car gas.
Between fuel & old engine technology the general aviation industry has kept
us suffering in the dark ages.
Remember, Swift’s UL94 is NOT the same as Swift’s SF102 fuel, which is tied up in the FAA’s FAPI certification process for eventual 100LL replacement sometime in 2019 I believe. Swift was able to bring UL94 to the market by meeting certain existing ASTM standards and therefor didn’t have to go through as many “hoops” to offer a new fuel. THE PROBLEM IS….as I see it, is the monopolistic practices allowed by the current fuel distributors and FBO’s at the airports, not easily allowing Swift UL94 to enter their market place or be at their airports. That seems to be one of the biggest reason we can’t get this stuff! And some of that may be because Swift UL94 can generally be sold cheaper than 100LL. Distribution of any new product is always challenging, especially when you’re not tied in with the current Big Boys. The UL94 is a far superior fuel, in my opinion. My experience with my Cessna 150 has been a much cleaner burn and NO lead fouling. Also mixes seamlessly with 100LL when I have to go back to using 100LL. For us “smaller engine” guys, UL94 is the fuel we’ve been waiting for. Airports and FBOs, please consider letting us have this fuel!
Another reason is that you are going to have a tough time getting Swift fuels to call you back. I’ve called in 4 times trying to get a quote for 1,000 gallons of fuel. I’ve been told that PJ Catania is the guy I need to deal with, but he refuses to return a call. I guess they don’t want to sell fuel that badly….
Great caution should be made switching between leaded and unleaded fuels and not being able to get unleaded fuels wherever you fly. Switching back and forth can play a dangerous game with engine and oil.
Hello gbigs. Please provide your research that backs up your statement “switching back and forth can play a dangerous game with your engine…” I would love to learn more about this myth. Thanks.
How about just a little common sense?
OK pessimist, please give the rest of us some specifics on this “dangerous game with engine and oil.”
It’s not just the oil……..how about the valves and valve guides?
Based on comments made at the AOPA event in TullAhoma, TN a couple of years ago I had hoped by now we would have seen Swift Fuel here in middle TN.
Sadly, it really is not sold “nationwide” – it’s not available at even one airport in the New York Tristate area (New York, New Jersey, Connecticut). And, somewhat oddly, in the entire area of California, Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Washington (state) it’s available at only a single airport. But, looking forward to seeing that change!