General Aviation Modifications Inc. (GAMI) has opened its online G100UL STC store.
All gasoline powered aircraft and engines in the FAA’s type certificate database are covered by the STC for G100UL, which is the first and only FAA-certified lead free high octane avgas, according to company officials.
“GAMI is working hard to make G100UL available in California in mid-2023, and to make it widely available to all West Coast states in 2024, with rapidly expanding regional availability thereafter,” company officials said.
They added that the “purchase of the STCs now by airplane owners who don’t live in the initial release area will help hasten the national availability of the fuel, which GAMI hopes to achieve by 2026.”
GAMI has offered two incentives for STC purchasers who would like to support this effort before fuel is available in their region:
- A $100 rebate on a first purchase of G100UL fuel for customers who buy STCs before Feb. 28, 2023
- A 10 year waiver on the cost of STCs for replacement engines for those purchasing the STC before June 30, 2023.
The G100UL STC is available at G100UL.com, and will cost about what a tank of 100LL currently costs for your plane, company officials noted.
What you need
You’ll need your N-number, aircraft model and serial number, engine manufacturer and your engine’s serial number to complete the STC purchase.
The STC documents will be delivered via PDF immediately and the related placards and other paperwork will be mailed to you in about 10 days, company officials added.
I am basically OK with the STC per aircraft, but I do have two questions, one of which I am really surprised no one has asked.
As to the STC, I understand the need for an N number to issue the paperwork for the STC, but why the serial number of the engine? We trade out engines more times than we change airplanes. Is the STC specifically issued to the engine that is in the airplane at the time the STC is issued? Will there have to be another STC issued at the time of an engine change? That is not normally the way STCs work, but just asking.
The elephant in the room question that no one seems to be asking is how stable is the G100UL? One of the things we have become so used to is that the current 100LL is quite stable and will last indefinitely if not contaminated. I have picked up airplanes in the past that have sat idle for a few years and once an inspection of the airplane has been completed including the state of the 100LL in the tanks (meaning no contamination or moisture), the airplane can be operated safely. The 100LL does not degrade like other fuels and leave varnish in the tanks, and other fuel system parts. Of course, there is need for care, but in my 50 plus years of flying I have not experienced any potential problems from aging alone with 100LL. Just would like to know that the G100UL will do as well or better.
I agree Steve, no one has said a word about stability. I have asked that question for ten years and never got a valid response. If it is like unleaded auto fuel the best you can ask for is 60 days. and StaBil is not something I would use in anything.
OK so gami is selling a STC, two actually one for the airframe, one for the engine, if I get my GAMI sticker and put the placard on my wing next to my Peterson sticker, than Swift fuels comes through with a no lead so I buy there placard…where does it end? The STC route is the wrong way to go. Best for the competing no leaders to collect the money from the refiner. Then you don’t find yourself with a GAMI placard at an FBO selling Swift fuel etc. The refiner can add another dollar to the already unaffordable gas and sent Swift, GAMI or whoever 40 or 50 cents for using their formula.
What is the 10 year waver for. Does that give you a new engine if the fuel destroys yours?
I live in California,/ Southern Cal. I don’t see it coming this way anytime soon. Maybe Northern California. $100 bucks is a small price to pay for efforts that our so-called Government could not do with out tax dollars. I’m in.
If I had a certified (not certificated!) plane that burns avgas, I’d be buying the STC whether or not the fuel is available in my area (KRHV, San Jose) just to do my bit to reward GAMI for taking the risk of developing a pour -in replacement for 100LL.
It seems that many pilots on here are incapable of long-term thinking/planning. As is becoming more and more apparent, it’s all about “me, me, ME,” and “what’s this doing for me TODAY?!?”
Years ago, I bought the auto fuel STC for my Grumman Traveler, I thought it was a good deal then even though I had to buy gas in cans and help t those cans to the airport to fuel the plane. The lack of auto fuel at the airport was a big inconvenience but it was manageable, and it saved me money in the long term. I’d be willing to buy the G100 STC, but their fuel isn’t available anywhere is my state, and it will be more expensive than 100LL. Given those issues, buying the STC would be completely illogical. At my age, I look for ways to save costs and reduce complications in my flying. Right now, G100 doesn’t help on either front. It’s not viable for me. Solve the cost and availability issues and I might be interested.
I am very grateful to the people at GAMI.
Some of the complainers I am reading apparently are unaware or don’t care that general aviation has been on the brink of extinction over leaded fuels and GAMI has saved the day! The cost of the STC is unbelievably low(almost nominal) and requires no modification to the A/C.
I was Texas based for a lifetime until a couple of years ago. Now my 172P and I fly out of Florida. Either way I am not in the area of initial distribution. Regardless, I will be sending my STC request and money to GAMI immediately with my thanks.
I hope most folks in GA will do the same. GA is a community at every level and we will survive or not…..together.
There is another thing to consider. The TEL is produced by only one company in the world… Innospec, in England.
https://innospec.com/fuel-additives/transportation/octane/
So, what happens to 100LL if they stop production of this ?
Then, G100UL is the long term solution for us to continue flying piston aircraft.
The STC fee is obviously an impediment to the widespread distribution of Gami and Swift fuels. It seems that both managements have decided to make money off a small STC base rather than a lot of money by the widespread selling of fuel.
Business schools tell us that the widespread proliferation would capture the market and make penetration by a later entrant very difficult. The way they are doing this could bring in Shell or Exxon etc early who could then dominate the market. Swift and Gami need to contemplate this.
Pat B, you should listen to GAMI on the podcasts. They’re not dumb and rather savvy business folks. They went a different route and managed to beat all the odds to bring a no lead fuel to market that requires an STC. They obviously didn’t consider the attitude that $300 is a lot of money for planes that burn that in a couple hours.
I can’t think of any avionics, annual inspection, tire, wheel, brake, propellor, window, seat, fabric, etc etc that costs as little as this but does as much good for aviation.
This is the first I’ve heard of having to purchase an STC for the new mix of fuel? The EPA should be charged for every aircraft owner!!!
If you’re burning mogas in a certified aircraft, you bought the STC for it.
Unfortunately, the mogas stc that I have is useless in CA, since all the gas has ethanol…not allowed in an aluminum fuel system.
I’m just dumb and happy my “old Cessna” runs just fine on regular ethanol free mogas at a cost of less than $30 a flight hour. And if I recall correctly, the STC was free.
Dumb and happy with no place to land when airports start closing because of no lead policies and no usage of those airports because the rest of the fleet needed LL fuel. Help GAMI out… they’re saving Aviation and airports.
I paid about $125 for my auto fuel STC from EAA.
GAMI spends their own money to invent, test and certify a product.
It will incur billions in possible liability along the way. So now we (aircraft owners) complain that there is a rather small fee to purchase an STC. I don’t get it. The FAA wasted a lot of money over the years with products that don’t get the lead out. Now we have a solution that was not tax payer funded.
Does the STC fee even cover their liability insurance premium? I don’t know, pretty sure they don’t get insurance for $0 premium . Compared to the insurance on my plane for just one year (STC goes forever) the cost of the STC seems like a bargain.
Agreed with Flying B. Why the heck would any pilot not want to buy the STC? Just save a few dollars and help out GAMI – they fought a long and hard battle against lots of odds to get this product approved. I’m based out of Florida and won’t see the fuel for a number of years, but I bought the STC anyway to support GAMI. If we don’t get behind innovators like GAMI, Aviation will continue to die a slow death.
I’m in FLORIDA. I don’t see the product being available here for YEARS & YEARS. Also if this is the replacement for 100LL WHY do WE have to pay for the STC? GAMI will make money on every gallon sold (= $ Millions..)! I understand there is significant development cost. GAMI will make extreme multiples of that over time.
Mark, to answer your WHY question, because it will be years before GAMI sees any return on the 15 years they battled to produce this. So put your big boy pants on, realize they did a good thing, and spend a tank of gas on buying their STC. You have no idea the pains they went thru to do this great thing that no one else was able to accomplish.
OK, so $325 for my old Cessna…. I’ll wait until I see the fuel available here in Northern California.
Avgas here is ‘down ‘ to $6.15, so an hour of flying costs me $45…
Ok… do you’re Not willing to allocate 8 hours of flying to a company that just spent 15 years developing a fuel that saves aviation from the EPA, a single lead source in England, and airport closures based on no lead policies?
— your desire to keep Aviation alive is noted.
Where is the “LIKE” button?