News Articles:
2024
Swift Says 100R Distribution Planned For 2025 - Swift Fuels says it will begin commercial distribution of its 100R unleaded avgas sometime in 2025. The company recently earned an STC for the fuel and airframe on R- and S-model Cessna 172s with fuel-injected Lycoming IO-360 engines. It also had its fuel specification go through the ASTM balloting process on Aug. 29, and there were concerns raised about the testing parameters and formulation of the fuel. - October 8, 2024
California 2031 Leaded Avgas Ban Signed Into Law - California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into law a ban on leaded aviation gasoline that comes into effect in 2031. That's the day after the FAA has said it will have a fully approved replacement fuel for 100LL through its End Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions (EAGLE) program. Newsom signed the bill, which passed by votes of 59-11 in the House and 30-8 in the Senate in August, on Sept. 22. It's the first such law in the U.S., but several other states are contemplating similar action. - October 1, 2024
Swift Fuels 100R Granted First STC - The FAA has issued an STC for Swift Fuels 100R unleaded avgas to be used in Cessna 172R/S Skyhawks with Lycoming IO-360-L2A engines. Those are the only aircraft configurations covered by the STC but Swift says that's only the beginning. The breakthrough was first reported by Aviation News. - September 24, 2024
Unleaded Fuel: What We'Ve Learned - The AOPA unleaded fuel demonstration Beechcraft Baron’s year of flying with two different fuels has come to a close—and we’ve learned a great deal. - September 19, 2024
Unleaded Fuel: What We'Ve Learned - The AOPA unleaded fuel demonstration Beechcraft Baron’s year of flying with two different fuels has come to a close—and we’ve learned a great deal. - September 19, 2024California Legislature Passes Leaded Avgas Ban - California is a governor's signature away from banning leaded aviation gasoline statewide. Politico Pro is reporting the California state Senate on Thursday passed bill that would outlaw the fuel starting in 2031. California is the first state to pass a leaded fuel ban. Several other states have similar legislation moving through their legislatures. The Senate vote passed 30-8. The day before, the House passed the bill, SB1193, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Caroline Menjivar, by 59-11. It now goes to Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign. He could veto it but based on the two votes it would pass anyway with the required two-thirds majority to defeat a veto. Newsom has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto the bill. - August 31, 2024
GAMI Answers G100UL Criticisms Point By Point - GAMI founder George Braly offers responses to a series of criticisms and questions about G100UL, his company’s unleaded replacement for 100LL. - August 26, 2024
Unleaded Fuel Process Needs A Reboot - The only candidate trying to develop an alternative to 100LL that's following the clearly preferred method of obtaining approval says it's impossible to make a "drop-in replacement." - August 19, 2024
FAA Says Warranties Up To Manufacturers - The FAA is staying out of the controversy over warranty issues concerning the use of GAMI’s G100UL. Cirrus Aircraft and Lycoming have both said they don’t consider G100UL an approved fuel and confirmed its use could affect warranty claims. Continental Aerospace has not yet commented to AVweb on the issue. The warranty debate arose from Cirrus’ issuance of a service advisory describing G100UL as unapproved because of inconclusive data on materials compatibility. The FAA has approved STCs for every gasoline engine on its registry but says warranty coverage is up to the manufacturers. - June 28, 2024
Lycoming Clarifies G100UL Warranty Impact - The world’s largest piston aircraft engine manufacturer has confirmed it may not honor warranty claims on engines that have been run on GAMI G100UL unleaded fuel. In a statement to AVweb, Lycoming said that G100UL is not on its list of approved fuels and while warranty claims are assessed individually, the warranty “does not cover damage caused by operation outside of Lycoming’s published specifications or the use of non-approved fuels or lubricants.” - June 26, 2024
Lyondell Temporarily Withdraws Unleaded Fuel ASTM Test Specification - Lyondell, one of the partners in development of a potential unleaded avgas replacement, has temporarily suspended its application for a test fuel specification from ASTM International. Lyondell, which is working with Basell and VP Racing to approve the fuel through the Piston Engine Fuels Initiative (PAFI), submitted a test fuel specification to the consensus standards organization but apparently did not get a favorable response. Curt Castagna, the co-chair of Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions (EAGLE), an industry initiative charged with achieving an unleaded replacement for 100LL by 2030, said the FAA confirmed that Lyondell’s fuel spec application has been paused. - June 26, 2024
GAMI Responds To Cirrus G100UL Service Advisory - General Aviation Modifications Inc. says it will issue a detailed response to Cirrus Aircraft’s recent service advisory discouraging the use of GAMI’s G100UL unleaded fuel in its SR series aircraft. In a statement to AVweb, GAMI said the service advisory appears to be linked to a single incident in which the sealant used in the fuel tank had unbonded in a company aircraft that had been fueled with G100UL. GAMI says there are indications the unbonded sealant had nothing to do with the fuel, but because the tank was not inspected before the unleaded fuel was introduced there’s no way to prove whether the fuel was a factor. In its service advisory, Cirrus said the materials compatibility of the fuel is “inconclusive.” - June 22, 2024
Lawyer Pilot Says G100UL Does Not Void Engine Warranties - A reader who is a lawyer for a large eastern firm has offered a legal opinion on the warranty implications of the use of GAMI G100UL unleaded fuel in Lycoming and Continental engines. Last week Cirrus issued a service advisory that said it did not approve the use of G100UL in its SR series aircraft because its compatibility with materials used in the fuel systems was “inconclusive.” It also suggested the use of the fuel could void the warranties on the engines. “As the GAMI G100UL fuel is a non-approved fuel per Continental and Lycoming, engines known to have run this fuel may not be covered by the current OEM engine warranty,” the service advisory said. - June 24, 2024
Cirrus Service Advisory Cites GAMI G100UL As ‘Unapproved’ For SR Series - In a blow to the General Aviation Modifications Inc.’s (GAMI’s) G100UL unleaded aviation fuel program, Cirrus Aircraft posted Service Advisory SA24-14 Tuesday (June 18). The advisory informs operators of Cirrus SR-series aircraft (SR20, SR22 and SR22T) that the manufacturer “does not approve the use of GAMI G100LL fuel in Cirrus SR Series airplanes. Additionally, Cirrus does not warrant or represent in any way an operator’s use of the GAMI G100UL fuel in Cirrus SR Series airplanes.” - June 21, 2024
Court Action Looms Over California Unleaded Fuel Availability - The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) appears poised to challenge in court the National Air Transport Association’s assertion that General Aviation Modifications Inc.’s G100UL is not commercially available. “G100UL has been approved by FAA and is now in production. There are approximately 1 million gallons available for purchase and distribution into California,” CEH’s lawyer Mark Todzo said in a statement to AVweb. “It is therefore commercially available as that term is defined in CEH’s Consent Judgment.” - May 15, 2024
Colorado looks to get lead out of aviation fuel as a new study adds to potential health concerns - A Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment study showed that kids living closer to airports have higher amounts of lead in their blood - May 15, 2024
A California Mom May Tip The Fuel Battle Scales - In all the teeth-gnashing about the rocky road to a universal unleaded aviation gasoline, there’s a background theme that I’ve been trying to get across that tends to be drowned out by the technical issues and politics of the issue. - May 13, 2024
Kids living near Colorado airports have slightly elevated levels of lead in their blood, new study finds - But levels were still within the range the federal government considers normal, The study, by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, found levels to be within the range the federal government considers normal, and didn’t prove that living near an airport caused the increase in blood lead levels, though levels declined consistently as the distance from an airport increased, reaching the state average at about two miles out. - May 12, 2024
EAGLE Projects Approval For PAFI Unleaded Fuel In 2025 - The End Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions (EAGLE) group expects the lone survivor of the congressionally mandated Piston Aviation Fuel Initiative (PAFI) to be approved by late 2025 but it may not be completely suitable for all engines. In a press briefing on Tuesday, Tim Owen, of the FAA, told dozens of stakeholders and media representatives that the Lyondell/Basell/VP Racing fuel is now in full testing by the FAA and, if all goes well, will be through all those tests by the third quarter of 2025. - April 24th, 20224
Jefferson County airport sued for noise, lead contamination - More than 400 residents of Superior’s Rock Creek subdivision filed a lawsuit against neighboring Jefferson County, owner of the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, complaining that noise and alleged pollution from leaded aviation fuel are affecting their well-being and devaluing their homes. - February 24, 2024
Colorado town's lead test results show safe levels but experts say test lacks data - For months, Colorado residents living near Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport have expressed concerns about potential lead exposure from the small piston engine airplanes taking off over their homes. RMMA has already committed to expediting their transition to 94 unleaded fuel and moving to fully unleaded when they are able. In response to community concerns, Superior officials had different areas in town and neighboring cities tested for lead and the results are in. - February 20, 2024
Neighbors weigh in on airport lawsuit - After a lawsuit was filed against the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, opinions from impacted residents and pilots have flooded in. Carly Moore has the latest. - February 18, 2024
Colorado Lead Studies Failed To Detect Measurable Aviation Pollution - Notwithstanding the lack of detectable lead in air and surface samples taken in three Colorado communities near Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in 2023 (findings that came to light only after pilots obtained the reports via freedom of information requests), the legislature is now considering a nakedly anti-aviation bill that AOPA will vigorously oppose. - February 15, 2024
Good-News Study On Airport Lead Exposure Kept Under Wraps - A series of studies commissioned by the town of Superior, Colorado, found virtually no evidence of airborne and surface lead contamination in three towns nearby Jefferson County’s Rocky Mountain Metro Airport (KBJC – also known as Jeffco Airport). But it took a Freedom of Information request to bring the test results to light. In all but one case, the levels found at the sites were too low to register. Air and surface swab samples were taken from indoor and outdoor locations in Superior, Louisville, and Lafayette, Colorado, between May and November last year. - February 14, 2024
Coloradans are on edge about airport noise and pollution. Lawmakers want to help - State lawmakers have introduced a bill aiming to protect residents from noise and potential lead exposure at Colorado's growing general aviation airports. Rapid growth at several airports, including Rocky Mountain Metropolitan in northern Colorado, has sparked lawsuits, thousands of noise complaints and health concerns about airborne lead pollution in neighboring communities. - February 13, 2024
2023
Citing Valve Damage, UND Drops Unleaded Fuel And Returns To 100LL - After an extensive trial, the University of North Dakota’s flight school has dropped Swift UL94 fuel and resumed use of 100LL. The school said ongoing maintenance monitoring of aircraft using UL94—almost exclusively Lycoming-powered Piper Archers and Seminoles—resulted in measurable exhaust valve recession. The school made the switch back to 100LL on Oct. 27. - November 8, 2023
ONE AIRPLANE, TWO FUELS AOPA PUTS UNLEADED FUEL TO THE TEST - The idea couldn’t be simpler: To learn about the real-world performance of unleaded aviation fuels, AOPA will measure them against leaded avgas in a twin-engine airplane. - November 2, 2023
EPA Releases Final AVGAS Emission Endangerment Finding - What does it mean for GA? What does it not mean? - October 18, 2023
Investing in Bizav's Net-zero Future - Negative perceptions of business aviation are a growing concern among advocates. - October 14, 2023
Press Release: Solutions to leaded aviation fuel are complicated - September 22, 2023
In Communities Near Some Colorado Airports, Concerns Persist Over Leaded Aviation Fuel - August 23, 2023
CA Pilot Points Out Lead Fallacies - A pilot at Reid-Hillview Airport in Santa Clara County, California, pulled no punches in a letter he sent to the leadership of the Environmental Protection Agency, copying the FAA. The thoughtfully worded letter by Michael McDonald, a professional engineer and local aircraft owner, pokes holes in the county’s study that lead from avgas is causing contamination in the area around the airport. - March 9, 2022
2022
Response to EPA regarding Lead - Regarding the Aviation Lead Study at Reid Hillview Airport - February 28, 2022
Getting The Lead Out - The Charge Toward Fleetwide Unleaded Fuel
Nobody will argue that it’s time to remove lead from all aviation fuels. It’s as important that this transition needs to be done in a way that works for the entire general aviation fleet – safely, economically, practically, and efficiently.
This site serves the home of the industry campaign, led by AOPA, to find an unleaded solution that works for all aviators, manufacturers, suppliers, and regulators, and benefits the environment. Bookmark and revisit this site for continued news, updates, developments, and success stories.