As we were quite literally pushing the button to send our October 2022 issue off to the printer, news unexpectedly arrived that many of us had been waiting for: The FAA granted General Aviation Modifications, Inc. (GAMI) its long-sought airframe and engine supplemental type certificate (STC) for the company’s G100UL unleaded aviation gasoline. Although GAMI previously had earned an STC for a number of common, relatively low-power airframe/engine combinations, the September 1, 2022, announcement meant that every aircraft certificated by the FAA and powered by a spark-ignition engine now can use an unleaded gasoline.
The AOPA’s press release about the news quoted GAMI co-founder George Braly as saying, “This is a big day for the industry. It means that for a lot of our general aviation communities, and especially for a high fraction on the West Coast, relief is on the way. And it means that our industry will be able to go into the future and prosper, and provide the essential infrastructure for this country for everything from Angel Flights to critical training of our future airline pilots.”
