Type groups representing owners of high-performance piston aircraft have formed the Green 100 Octane Coalition to raise awareness of issues surrounding the impending demise of 100LL. So far, members include the American Bonanza Society, the Malibu Mirage Owners and Pilots Association, the Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association and some individuals. In a podcast interview with AVweb, Tom Turner of the American Bonanza Society said the major aviation groups appear to be sending disturbing signals to those who fly aircraft with high-horsepower, high-compression and turbocharged engines that absolutely must have 100-octane fuel to operate normally. He said some groups have issued statements pointing out that about 80 percent of the piston fleet can run on lower-grade gasoline. But Turner says the lower-powered majority should be concerned about the potential effects of a lack of suitable fuel on the big-displacement crowd because of the way the numbers work.
Turner said the 20 percent represented by high-performance aircraft owners buy 80 percent of the fuel sold in the U.S. and if they’re simply relegated to the scrap heap, there will be catastrophic effect on the fuel supply chain as there simply won’t be enough business to sustain the fuel sellers. He said the coalition’s initial goal is to raise awareness of the issues among all piston aircraft operators. A statement will be coming soon.
