Concerns over gas prices and the fuel supply are nothing new. Aviators have worried for years that their supply of 100LL will dry up, or become pricey beyond reason. The U.S. GA piston fleet is currently surviving on one remaining producer that provides tetra-ethyl lead (TEL), the critical ingredient in 100LL, and that producer may not be committed to producing TEL after 2010, AOPA says. An acceptable unleaded replacement fuel for 100LL is not available, AOPA says, and it would take years to develop and approve a new fuel and have the FAA certify aircraft to use that fuel.
…And Alternatives Remain Scarce
Key Takeaways:
- The U.S. general aviation piston fleet faces a critical and long-standing threat to its 100LL fuel supply and affordability.
- This threat is due to its reliance on a single remaining producer of tetra-ethyl lead (TEL), the key ingredient, which may cease production after 2010.
- There is currently no acceptable unleaded replacement fuel for 100LL, and developing, approving, and certifying aircraft for a new fuel would take years.
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