Eighty-five FBOs formerly with Exxon have joined the Phillips 66 Aviation network of branded dealers. The expansion of the Phillips 66 Aviation network heralds the beginning of the company’s 85th year providing fuel, lubricants and support programs to the general aviation industry, according to officials. The 85 former Exxon FBOs add a significant West Coast […]
avgas
Obama administration responds to user fee petition
A petition to take user fees off the table garnered more than 8,900 signatures — many from general aviation pilots — but the result wasn’t what we hoped for. Instead, the response from Dana Hyde, Associate Director for General Government Programs, Office of Management and Budget, is an essay titled “Why We Need Aviation User […]
TMA Group partners with Avfuel
TMA Group, the FBO at Cambridge Municipal Airport (CSB) in Nebraska, has joined the Avfuel network of branded FBOs. TMA assumed management of the FBO in 2009 and immediately began implanting improvements, including refurbishing the pilot’s lounge, adding A&P services, and outfitting the facility with free Wi-Fi throughout, according to company officials. Ramp and taxiway […]
Decision time 2012 for general aviation
In a special report in AOPA’s Aviation eBrief, AOPA President Craig Fuller urges general aviation pilots to get involved in this year’s elections, saying “With a presidential election on the horizon, this is a big year for every American, but perhaps even more so for members of the general aviation community.” “The public servants we […]
Shell FBO network expands
Former Exxon FBOs, Greenbrier Valley Airport and Summit Aviation, have joined the Shell FBO network. There are currently over 400 Shell branded FBOs in the United States. By joining the Shell FBO Network, Greenbrier Valley Airport and Summit Aviation can take advantage of some of the many FBO programs offered through Eastern Aviation Fuels, company […]
Why can’t I find ethanol-free fuel?
One of the most frequent questions we receive from pilots is why their local gas station can no longer supply them with ethanol-free autogas, an FAA-approved lead-free aviation fuel since 1982. Readers of this blog know the answers to this question, but there remain many who believe that gas stations are forbidden from selling anything […]
Business up at GMU
Air traffic and fuel sales are up at Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU), the busiest general aviation airport in South Carolina, signaling expectations of a turnaround. In 2011, air traffic at the Greenville Downtown Airport rose 6% over the year ending 2010, reports Joe Frasher, airport director. “In 2010, GMU had 55,267 operations, which are counted […]
The Valve Seat Recession Conundrum
In a recent blog posted on General Aviation News by Ben Visser, he made a point that poses a serious conundrum for the conversion to unleaded avgas: “The big problem here is that almost all of the aircraft piston engines out there need to be broken-in on 100LL, then they can be switched over to […]
We’ve hit the ethanol blending wall, government reports
As forecast by your bloggers for the past year, it looked likely that the mandated production of ethanol in the US would exceed consumption sometime this winter. According to a new report from the U.S. Energy Information Agency, it appears that this situation, known as “the blending wall” actually occurred this past summer! The report […]