U-Fuel and AUA Insurance announce partnership

U-Fuel (Elk Mound, WI), a pioneer in the field of hazard liquid storage and the sponsor of the Aviation Fuel Club, announced this week a new partnership with Aviation Unlimited Agency (AUA, Greensboro, NC) one of the leading providers of aviation insurance in the US.

Kent Misegades, aviation sales representative for U-Fuel, described the new collaboration: “Our clients are seeking affordable options in liability insurance to cover their aircraft fueling operations. AUA, whose founders Norma and Butch Joyce are well-respected leaders in the sport aviation community, understand the needs of pilots, general aviation airports and FBO managers. We're excited to be able to refer our customers to AUA for all their fuel-related liability insurance needs.”

AUA's Norma Joyce, who has decades of experience in the aviation insurance industry, welcomes the cooperation with U-Fuel: “We look forward to helping U-Fuel's clients with their insurance questions & providing them with product liability for all aviation fuels, including autogas, avgas and Jet-A.”

For information on fueling insurance, contact Norma Joyce, AUA, 1-800-358-8197. For information on U-Fuel systems, contact Kent Misegades, Aviation & Marine Sales, U-Fuel, 919-303-8230 (W), 919-946-7096 (M).

Air Plains re-introduces Petersen ADI

Air Plains, performance STC experts from Wellington, KS, have reintroduced the Anti-Detonant Injection systems pioneered by Petersen Aviation in the 1990s. As described on the company's web site, "ADI was developed to allow high compression engines to run on low octane (91 octane minimum) fuel safely. A Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) will enable the installation of the system components on the aircraft and allow the operator to run the engine with more flexibility (fuel availability and price savings). Anti-Detonant injection, also know as Water injection, is not a new technology. It has been used in aircraft prior to WWII to provide an extra boost power for take-off to prevent engine knocking." At the current time, Air Plains is offering the ADI systems for many models of the Cessna 210 at $11,900 and the Beechcraft Baron at $14,500. Given the typical $1 difference in the price of autogas versus avgas, users of an ADI system from Air Plains should be able to amortize their investment in just a few years. It also prepares them now for the inevitable end of leaded aviation fuel. ADI STCs for other aircraft that must currently operate on 100LL, for instance newer Bonanzas, Cirrus, Mooney, etc., are pending demand.

Stay up-to-date with The Pulse

Among the many electronic newsletters available to pilots, The Pulse from General Aviation News provides its readers with a variety of concise reports several times a week. These include updates to the GAfuels blog co-authored by AFC Directors Dean Billing and Kent Misegades.  Free subscriptions to The Pulse can be requested at this link.

Marathon selling ethanol-free autogas in Ohio

Last week we received a call from a pilot in the Canton, Ohio area.  He's driven trucks for Marathon, farms 400 acres, and flies a rare Rockwell Darter 100. He reports that Marathon is selling their 90 octane, ethanol-free recreational fuel through distributors in Ohio, the fuel being refined in Canton.  Gas stations owned
by Marathon don't sell it, but independent stations do or could order it, and it can be purchased anywhere in Eastern Ohio, from Cleveland to Marietta. To order it, contact one of the company's distributors in Carrolton or Minerva, OH. They have delivered as little as 150 gallons.

Help keep autogas lists accurate

The Directors of the Aviation Fuel Club spend a great deal of time assisting AFC members locate reliable, affordable supplies of aviation fuel, especially ethanol-free, lead-free autogas, an FAA-approved avation fuel since 1982.  While locating supplies and fuel transporters willing to deliver to airports (so-called "jobbers") is not rocket science, it does take a bit of effort.  Resources that we use to locate autogas suppliers are found in our forum from EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2011, as well as on this one-page flyer that was handed out to attendees of the forum. Two lists of ethanol-free fuel retailers are of great value to those searching for it.   The first is Pure-Gas.org, a user-maintained list of retail sellers of ethanol-free fuel.  The second is a list of all known airports in North America that sell autogas, found on the Flyunleaded.com web site maintained by AFC Director Dean Billing.  In both cases, the lists are only accurate when those who use them made additions or changes based on their own knowledge.  If you find them useful, please help all AFC members by making needed changes.  Since few airports are listed on Pure-Gas, but many of these will sell ethanol-free fuel to all consumers, your addition of airports to the list would be appreciated.

New video shows ethanol's effects on fuel systems

The Historic Vehicle Association recently posted an informative video showing the effect of ethanol on fuel components found in the fuel systems of classic cars.  In many ways, these components are similar to those found in aircraft, since many aircraft continue to make use of carburetors and open-vented fuel systems as was common in older cars. Due to the damage that ethanol causes to the valuable vehicles owned by HVA members, the organization has launched its "ETHANO!" campaign to prevent even higher grades of ethanol being allowed in our nation's fuel supply. The AFC applauds the HVA on its efforts; we know from our recent correspondence with the HVA's leadership that they reciprocate.

aviation 101 - recent gafuels postings

Two AFC Directors, Dean Billing of Sisters, OR and Kent Misegades of Cary, NC, co-author the GAfuels blog at General Aviation News. Below are links to some of their recent postings on issues related to aviation fuels.

Waseca Municipal Airport adds autogas, August 25th, 2011

Avgas production lower than reported, August 29th, 2011

The mythical E10 mandate, August 31st, 2011

ExxonMobil departs General Aviation, September 5th, 2011

Another summer with E0 autogas, September 7th, 2011

100VLL: 100LL renamed to placate environmentalists?, September 19th, 2011

Avgas expert comments on 100VLL, September 21st, 2011

Continental's IO-360-AF alternative fuel engine, September 27th, 2011

Mountain Empire Airport adds autogas, September 28th, 2011

89.5 AKI was enough, October 3rd, 2011