Fuel News

Lycoming says it doesn’t think its engines are to blame for the valve seat recession problems experienced by the University of North Dakota flight training department last year after it switched to Swift Fuels’ UL94 fuel. Rather, it says in a news release (copied in full below) its analysis suggests that “under certain conditions, use […]

General Aviation Modifications Inc. founder George Braly says he thinks he knows why the University of North Dakota’s flight training program had valve seat recession issues using Swift 94UL fuel but he won’t release the details until he’s discussed it with UND and Swift. “I have to extend them that courtesy,” he said. The school […]

The FAA says engine cell testing of one of three contenders actively being considered as a replacement for 100LL avgas will begin later this year at the agency’s William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City. In a statement to AVweb, the agency said the fuel developed by a partnership between LyondellBasell Industries and VP […]

Savvy Aviation master mechanic Mike Busch is questioning the methodology of tests done by the University of North Dakota that resulted in it abandoning the use of Swift 94UL and going back to 100LL in its training fleet. The school made the switch back to leaded fuel last fall because it detected significant valve seat […]

The lawyer for a California environmental group says a court settlement that will mandate the sale of G100UL avgas will not necessarily prevent FBOs from also selling 100LL. Mark Todzo, who represents the Center for Environmental Health, clarified part of his December 2023 letter to FBOs and fuel distributors informing of the imminent commercial availability […]

Swift Fuels CEO Chris D’Acosta says a legal threat against California FBOs to sell a new-to-the-market unleaded 100-octane fuel is based on the premise that G100UL, developed by General Aviation Modifications Inc., will soon be commercially available, something he says is unlikely to happen anytime soon. In public comments and in emails to AVweb, D’Acosta claims that […]

Lawyers for a California environmental group say most if not all FBOs in California will be required to offer 100LL with General Aviation Modifications Inc.’s (GAMI’s) G100UL starting in the first half of 2024 thanks to a nine-year-old court ruling. The consent judgment, issued in favor of the Center for Environmental Health in December of […]

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 […]

The first FAA-approved 100 octane unleaded fuel is virtually indistinguishable from 100LL in operation and offers some important benefits beyond the environmental ones. Rick Durden, a regular contributor to our sister publication Aviation Consumer, logged 3.3 hours in a Beech C55 Baron with one engine running on General Aviation Modifications Inc.’s (GAMI’s) G100UL and the […]

Aircraft operators in California will likely be the first to be able to fill their tanks with unleaded 100 octane aviation fuel. General Aviation Modifications Inc. head of engineering George Braly told AVweb the company has signed a licensing agreement with petroleum company Vitol Aviation and that company is now in the process of producing the first large-scale batches of G100UL® avgas. At this time, the […]