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, aviation sales rep for U-Fuel, and president of EAA 1114.
According to AirNav, since Dec. 1 2010, the number of FBOs in the U.S. offering 100LL avgas has dropped from 3,537 to 3,515. This reflects the general decline in sales of 100LL avgas nationally, which has decreased by approximately 4% annually in the past decade, the result of heavy pistons moving to turbines, lighter aircraft shifting to more efficient, autogas-burning LSAs, and an overall decline in the number of hours flown by pilots annually.
During this same period of time, the number of FBOs listed as offering autogas has remained constant at 107, while two in central North Carolina, Raleigh East (W17) and Gilliam-McConnell (5NC3), recently added autogas alongside their 100LL pumps. Since information on AirNav is not always up-to-date, your bloggers maintain a separate list of airports selling autogas at FLYUNLEADED.com Please send us your comments if you have information on autogas sources at airports not found on this list, or if we need to make a correction to the information now on this list.
To ‘Phil D”; Truer words were never spoken! It’s not so much GA as a whole is suffering rather the “recreational segment” and not the business/corporate side. Yes, the so called “model” of the post WW II era; “a plane in every garage/hangar” was a rather overly optimistic and novel idea that didn’t “fly”, no pun intended! If one were to examiner the student start decline since a peak of DOUBLE in the early 70’s as to what is is today, my personal take is the although the QUANITY has declined, I believe the QUALITY has gone up; that is a more serious and commited student who has an ULTIMATE goal or reason to complete one’s Private or other certificate course for some ULITITY value, therefore making the cost equal to the benefit. Gone are the days when the student pilot population was largely made up of those who decided on some temporary emotional whim,”I think I’ll lean to fly” and perhaps 2-3 lessons later realized it was just that; more about a momentary “high” that passed as quickly as it began. As in any business, the BEST customer is the one who SPENDS the most money purchasing your product or services. Ever really wonder why GOLD EXECUTIVE AVIATION over at Snob City International is “indifferent” about a Cessna 172 owners business? Lets say our 172 guy or gal buys 25 gal of 100LL for $4/gal which equats to $100. This fill-up will take about 10 minutes. Now, a G-4 in about 15 minutes takes on 1,000 gal of Jet-A at $5/gal. So WHO is the priority customer? Lets see now; $100 vs $5,000, so unless your either 1. VERY noble 2. Failed Business Math 101 3. Need an appointment with “Dr Phil”, and still “don’t get it”, your probably not living in a capitalistic free market nation or are a “died in the wool” socialist! The future of recreational aviation will simply stem on those who have the ABILITY $$$ and the willingness to pay for the value received be it an hour of “dual”, an aircraft purchase or an annual inspection; it will not suvive on those who continue NOT to put money in the “draw” of the general aviation retail, FBO, etc, providers register weather it’s at Vern’s Flying Service at Podunk Municipal or some “high end” jet facility at Snob International!
At fuel prices & we are getting at age not to pass “Medical” , Myself and 8 friends put our A.C. for sale past weekend ..
Can there be any question … any further debate … that GA — as we have come to know it — is on life support?
Sure, we’ll continue to have those limited utility, buzzy little “hey-ma-look-at-me” two-seaters to putz around with, but for all intents and purposes, the post WW2 business model of “aviation for all” is (finally?) dead.