The GAfuels Blog is written by two private pilots concerned about the future availability of fuels for piston-engine aircraft: Dean Billing, Sisters, Ore., an expert on autogas and ethanol, and Kent Misegades, Cary, N.C., an aerospace engineer and aviation journalist.
Sam Hokin, creator of PURE-GAS.org, the best source of information on where to find ethanol-free gasoline, encourages everyone who needs this fuel to sign a petition to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson.
The petition asks the EPA “to ensure that federal ethanol regulations be constructed in a way to clearly encourage the production and sale of pure gasoline.”
The EPA has the authority now to prohibit nationwide the blending of ethanol in Premium (91 octane or higher) gasoline, the ideal fuel for 70%-80% of the current piston-engine fleet and essentially all new LSA aircraft. Please sign the petition today, and ask others who need ethanol-free fuel (for any purpose, not only aviation) to do the same.
Mark, et al, please send your comment also to folks at the EAA and AOPA, the two groups who should be supporting us on this important subject. Please pass the word on the petition to anyone who prefers ethanol-free gas, and not only for airplanes.
Ethanol in my old boat cost me $2,200 for rebuilding the fuel system. Fuel with ethanol breaks down and absorbs more water far sooner than pure auto gas. My 1940 Taylorcraft was built to use 80 octane fuel. Only 100LL is available in Maine now and it is only available at airports. The auto gas without ethanol was perfect for my plane and I could get it nearby. Now flying is more of a pain because I must fly from the grass strip I keep the plane at, to an airport to buy the 100LL fuel for $1.50 more per gallon.
There is not one good thing about ethanol. I costs much more than gasoline and has to be subsidized to make it worthwhile to produce. It produces a fuel that gives less MPG for our vehicles and it takes just as much “foreign oil” to produce as it’s supposed to save. So whats the point? It also produces more CO2.
We need auto minus ethanol for light sport aviation
Oops, make that a 10% ethanol fuel.
While I am not a fan of high ethanol fuels, I do like a 90% ethanol fuel because of its de-icing ability.
Furthermore I do not think the extra cost of 91 octane fuel is warranted. While the drop from 100 to 91 is considerable it still is considered premium by automotive standards. Simple economics says that aviation reciprocating engines should operate in the 87 to 89 octane range gaining the ability to use straight mogas and thus share an extremely large market instead of the present niche market it possesses now. The auto industry is getting more and more power from an engine size along with increasing mileage all the time. Aviation and auto engines are enough alike that aviation should be able to adapt auto technology to get the power, fuel consumption and lower fuel costs of the automobile.