Update Triggers Questions on Unleaded Avgas Progress

GAMA hosted the EAGLE roundtable, bringing together stakeholders looking for more transparency and urgency.

Tuesday, June 06, 2023 at 03:05 PM ET

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The purpose of EAGLE is to chart the safe and smart transition to an unleaded future for the entire general aviation fleet. [File photo: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The general aviation industry faces urgent pressure to transition from leaded avgas to viable unleaded alternatives by 2030, driven by impending EPA regulations and coordinated by the EAGLE initiative.
Four candidate fuels are currently under development and testing through two distinct pathways: the comprehensive FAA/ASTM PAFI program and the more proprietary Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) process, with some fuels nearing market readiness.
Industry stakeholders emphasize that successful unleaded fuel replacement requires rigorous testing and transparency on critical characteristics beyond just octane, including toxicity, materials compatibility, stability, vaporization, density, and fuel control adjustments.
A methodical and transparent transition plan is crucial to avoid premature bans of 100LL by communities before a commercially viable, widely available, and thoroughly vetted unleaded replacement is fully established for the diverse general aviation fleet.

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The clock ticks louder each week, it seems, as pressure grows to move forward with a viable replacement for the primary unleaded avgas in use in the general aviation fleet. And we need more transparency on the process—and the very recipes for the fuels in question—according to industry leaders.

To focus a lens on the issue—and compel critical questioning to the process—the General Aviation Manufacturers Association on Monday hosted a roundtable of stakeholders to the EAGLE (Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions) initiative to give an update on how things stand. The initiative seeks a complete replacement of leaded fuel by no later than 2030, with a sunsetting of the fuel while maintaining a high level of safety in GA operations, which it primarily affects.