Fuel News

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. Swift Fuels is managing a comprehensive program […]

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 […]

General Aviation Modifications Inc. (GAMI) says the gunk that smeared the underside of the left wing of the AOPA Beech Baron fuel test bed aircraft at AirVenture originated with a leaky patch in the 50-year-old bladder in the tank. In a report prepared by GAMI, the company said the mechanics who removed all four bladders […]

AOPA says it left its dual-fuel Beech Baron behind in Oshkosh so mechanics can trace the source of some stains that were discovered under the left wing while it was on display at AirVenture last week. The Baron is being used as a test bed to compare the performance of General Aviation Modifications Inc.’s (GAMI’s) […]

The company behind the only candidate left in the FAA-driven Piston Aviation Fuel Initiative process to create a high-octane unleaded replacement for 100LL says it’s impossible, according to Aviation Week. “There is no such thing as a drop-in unleaded fuel to replace 100 [LL],” Dan Pourreau, business development manager with LyondellBasel Industries, told the publication […]

The End Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions (EAGLE) group has issued a statement (copied in full below) summarizing its take on the forum it held Monday at AirVenture, stressing the need to preserve access to 100LL while a new unleaded replacement is developed. It also reiterated its stand that an ASTM fuel specification, while not a […]

On Wednesday, General Aviation Modifications Inc. (GAMI) achieved another milestone in developing its unleaded aviation gasoline, G100UL, when it powered a World War II-era bomber, the Douglas A-26 Invader, for the first time. The aircraft took off from Ada Regional Airport in Oklahoma and flew over Lake Atoka during the 60-minute flight. According to GAMI, […]

Universal Hydrogen, which was trying to develop workable systems to power aircraft with hydrogen, has folded after burning through about $100 million in investor capital. The Seattle Times is reporting the company sent a memo to shareholders on Thursday saying there was no way forward for the startup. “We were unable to secure sufficient equity […]

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 […]

LyondellBasell has confirmed that it is still actively pursuing approval through the Piston Aviation Fuel Initiative for an unleaded aviation gasoline it is developing with VP Racing. As we reported on Thursday, LyondellBasell (we incorrectly called it Lyondell) did receive critiques in its first submission of a test specification to ASTM International for UL100E. LyondellBasell […]