As described in our March 10 article, it is generally accepted that fuel companies hit the so-called blending wall this past winter, a situation where EPA blending mandates cannot be fulfilled, even if every drop of gasoline contains 10% ethanol by volume. This has unleashed the unintended consequence of RIN (Renewable Identification Number) speculation, as […]
Aviation Fuel
Archer flown on autogas makes its way to Oshkosh
A Piper Archer, powered by a 180-horsepower Lycoming O-360 fueled with Airworthy AutoGas 93 Premium unleaded, was successfully flown from Vero Beach, Florida — Piper Aircraft’s home base — to Oshkosh, Wis., and will be on display at Airventure next week. Departing Vero Beach on Friday, July 19, the experimental aircraft, piloted by David Athay […]
A long cross-country on mogas
Thanks go out to GAfuels reader Michael Gallagher of Peoria, Ill., for sending us this story on his recent long cross-country trip in the mogas-burning, Rotax 912ULS-powered RANS S-7S he built himself: “On June 19th, I loaded up my 2011 Rans S7S with luggage and my 5-year-old son/co-pilot and took off from Peoria, Ill., (KPIA) […]
House blocks light bulb mandate — is ethanol next?
According to The Hill, the U.S. House this week blocked implementation of light bulb mandates that are part of the same EISA 2007 Act that mandates the adulteration of our nation’s gasoline supply with ethanol. According to the article, “The House on Wednesday voted to block the enforcement of light bulb standards that many say […]
FAA could solve mogas confusion
My co-author, Kent Misegades, recently wrote an article about the confusion of some in airport management about allowing mogas operations on an airport. Sad to say, it isn’t just a few airport managers. There is widespread ignorance about mogas use in aviation that permeates the FAA bureaucracy, the aviation alphabets, aviation media, state aviation departments […]
Confused in Texas
Recently we heard from an exasperated reader from a major general aviation airport in southeastern Texas. Like many of his fellow recreational pilots in the Lone Star state, he had asked his new airport manager for help getting mogas onto the airfield as a means to lower the cost of flying. He had even gone […]
San Carlos — try mogas
As reported this week by Flying, the EPA has issued its findings on lead emissions it has been monitoring the past two years at 17 airports across the country. For pilots in Southern California and the Bay area, the news was not good: “The EPA’s findings from airports where the testing was carried out indicate […]
The answer to GA’s woes: Technology
There is a story going around about a toothpaste company that was having quality problems. It seems that every once in a while an empty tube would go through the system and get to the stores. This was causing several customers to threaten to cancel their orders. So the president of the company, who was […]
The FAA’s broken record?
As General Aviation News reported yesterday, the FAA has issued a long-anticipated request for proposals for a lead-free drop-in replacement for avgas. As described in the agency’s press release from June 10, “The Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today asked the world’s fuel producers to submit proposals for fuel options that would help […]