Fuels forums at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2011

Aviation Fuel Club director Kent Misegades will present a talk “Aviation Fuel Club and Sport Fuel” at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh on Wednesday, July 27, in the Forum Pavilion 01 Pacific Coast Avionics. The presentation will include an update on efforts to find alternatives to leaded avgas, and progress made in the past year on expanding the use of lead-free, ethanol-free autogas at airports across the country. Misegades will provide guidelines to pilots, FBOs and airport managers on how to locate suppliers of aviation-quality autogas and low-cost fuel storage solutions.

Other forums on the topic of aviation fuels planned for AirVenture include:

Swift Fuel 2011 Update on Development & Testing, Tuesday, July 26, 8:30 AM – 9:45 AM, Forum Pavilion 05

G100UL Unleaded AVgas, Tuesday, July 26, 1:00 PM – 2:15 PM, Forum Pavilion 06

FAA Unleaded Avgas Transition ARC Report-Out, Wednesday, July 27, 1:00 PM – 2:15 PM, Forum Pavilion 05

Operating Cessna Aircraft on Today and Tomorrow’s Fuels, Saturday, July 30, 10:00 AM – 11:15 AM, Forum Pavilion 06

Fly Unleaded to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

Amidst a stream of reports on aircraft on display at this year's EAA AirVenture powered by batteries, sunlight, hydrogen, ethanol, bio-Jet-A, cooking oil, algae, etc. hundreds of planes will once again arrive in Oshkosh - with little fanfare - burning a low-cost, lead-free aviation fuel approved by the FAA in 1982 and available in vast quantities. As readers of this blog know, autogas enjoys an excellent track record and is the only viable unleaded alternative to 100LL, but you can't buy it at Wittman Field, even though the pioneering work sponsored by the EAA that led to the first autogas STC's occurred there in the early 1980s.

In the course of researching the availability of autogas at airports hosting major aviation events, the author contacted both Adam Smith, VP of Membership for the EAA, and Peter Moll, the manager of Wittman Regional Airport.  Both expressed interest in having autogas available not only for AirVenture, but permanently on the field.  Moll stated however that the fuel would have to be sold through the two existing FBOs, Basler Flight Service or Orion Flight Services. I contacted both with an offer to assist securing a supplier, however my offers went unanswered.  Perhaps we'll have more luck with them by 2012.

Fortunately for autogas users attending AirVenture, there are many airports nearby that offer the fuel. Indeed, it is the ultimate irony that in a major corn/ethanol producing state such as Wisconsin, ethanol-free fuel is generally available at retail stations, marinas, and airports, quite the opposite situation as one finds in other parts of the country. What do the nice folks in Wisconsin know that others don't?

With the start of AirVenture 2012 less than a week away, we thought we'd provide you with a list of those airports within a 75 mile radius of KOSH offering lead-free, ethanol-free autogas. Be sure to check your favorite airport directories for current prices, octane rating and availability before launching for Oshkosh. And when you're there, stop by my forum on this subject on Wednesday, July 27th at 10AM in Forum Pavilion 01.

Airports offering autogas within a 75 mile radius of Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH)

KMTW, Manitowoc County Airport, Manitowoc, WI, 39 ENE
KHXF, Hartford Municipal Airport, Hartford, WI, 39 S
92C, Carter Airport, Pulaski, WI, 42 NNE
C47, Portage Municipal Airport, Portage, WI, 47 WSW
02C, Capitol Airport, Brookfield, WI, 56 SSE
7P5, Piso Airport, Suring, WI, 65 N
88C, Palmyra Municipal Airport, Palmyra, WI, 66 S
99C, Quam's Marine Seaplane Base, Stoughton, WI, 69 SSW
57C, East Troy Municipal Airport, East Troy, WI, 72 S
62C, Cindy Guntly Memorial Airport, Franksville, WI, 73 SSE
KAUW, Wausau Downtown Airport, Wausau, WI, 73 NW

Clear Gas CEO in AvWeb Podcast

Hear Clear Gas CEO and Aviation Fuel Club member Adam DeBard describe plans to supply airports and others across California witih lead-free, ethanol-free autogas, an FAA-approved aviation fuel since 1982.  DeBard was recently interviewed by AvWeb Editor Paul Bertorelli in this Podcast.

E0 returns to Upstate NY

According to this recent article in the Watertown Daily Times (Watertown, NY), marinas have begun selling ethanol-free fuel after disastrous experiences with E10 ethanol blends in the past year. Pilots and airports searching for suppliers of lead-free, ethanol-free autogas should contact the marina owners cited in this article, as well as two suppliers mentioned, MX Petroleum Corp. and Econo Fuels Inc. located in Massena, NY.