U2OSH around the corner

Ater six months of planning, U2OSH - Unleaded to Oshkosh - is just around the corner. As described on this flyer, U2OSH celebrates the 30th anniversary of the FAA's approval of lead-free autogas as an aviation fuel. Headquarters of U2OSH is the outdoor exhibit from AFC sponsor U-Fuel (#339), co-located with American Legend Aircraft, just behind Hawker Beechcraft. All pilots attending AirVenture 2012 who fly aircraft capable of operating on autogas are invited to stop by U2OSH headquarters to sign in and receive a gift. Those flying to AirVenture will be entered into a contest for the longest flight and newest/oldest smallest/largest aircraft. Awards will be present during our forum entitled "Autogas at 30 Years"  on Thursday at 11:30 AM at the Pavilion 03 Sennheiser Aviation.  Among the speakers at this forum will be EAA founder Paul Poberezny, a key figure in the autogas certification effort more than 30 years ago. The Directors of the Aviation Fuel Club will be on-hand at U2OSH headquarters all week - See you soon in Oshkosh!

New study shows 80% of all piston aircraft will operate on autogas

The Aviation Fuel Club recently commissioned a study of the FAA aircraft registry to determine the percentage of piston-engine aircraft that are capable of operating today on autogas. The bottom line: somewhere between 80% - 83% of all active piston engine airplanes and helicopters registered in the U.S. could operate on autogas today, dramatically reducing the cost of flying and lead emissions from General Aviation.  The authors of the study are now analyzing the data to determine these percentages in several different categories of aircraft and to estimate the relative fuel consumed.  Details will be presented during a forum entitled “Autogas at 30 Years” on Thursday, July 26th at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, part of the U2OSH event being organized by the Aviation Fuel Club. Speaking at this forum will be a number of experts on aviation fuel; topics addressed will include a recent development allowing the remaining 20% of high-performance aircraft to use autogas. See details from this study at this link.

Saving fuel costs

When flying cross-country, pilots have many options when choosing fuel stops. WIth a bit of homework, one can make substantial savings by choosing airports with low cost fuel. Some of the latest cockpit navigation tools such Foreflight, Garmin Pilot, and Anywhere Map Freedom feature options to find lowest-cost aviatin fuel. Another simple tool is AirNav's aviation fuel tool, "Plan a flight with fuel stops."  After entering information regarding your aircraft's cruise speed, endurance between stops, and preferred fuels, select "Find the cheapest routes" and you'll be presented with a number of routes, categorized by relative cost.  It is always wise to call ahead to your planned stops as the data in AirNav is not always up to date.  Remember also to have a few alternative airfields in mind should something prevent you from landing at your chosen stops. For autogas users, choices are limited, especially in the western part of the country. Remember to refer to AFC Director Dean Billing's excellent autogas list and map when planning your flight. Fly Safe!

Aviation Fuels 101 - Recent News from GAfuels

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.

Response to Cessna Pilots article on avgas, June 20th, 2012

Autogas: Better than ever, June 12th, 2012

U2OSH: Unleaded to Oshkosh, June 6th, 2012

C150 owner saves $800 annually with autogas, June 4th, 2012