…And Alternatives Remain Scarce

Concerns over gas prices and the fuel supply are nothing new. Aviators have worried for years that their supply of 100LL will dry up, or become pricey beyond reason. The U.S. GA piston fleet is currently surviving on one remaining producer that provides tetra-ethyl lead (TEL), the critical ingredient in 100LL, and that producer may not be committed to producing TEL after 2010, AOPA says. An acceptable unleaded replacement fuel for 100LL is not available, AOPA says, and it would take years to develop and approve a new fuel and have the FAA certify aircraft to use that fuel.