GA Pilots Press Committee on Lead-Free Fuel

FAA and industry leaders respond to pilots concerned about removing lead from fuel.

Thom Patterson

Monday, July 25, 2022 at 05:57 PM ET

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A Cessna aircraft [Courtesy: Textron Aviation]

Key Takeaways:

General aviation pilots voiced significant frustration at AirVenture over the ongoing lack of available lead-free, high-octane aviation fuel and the slow progress in finding alternatives.
The EAGLE (Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions) initiative, a collaborative effort by numerous aviation industry stakeholders, aims to develop and transition the GA fleet to unleaded fuel by an aggressive target of 2030.
This transition is a complex, unprecedented undertaking involving significant research, development, and infrastructure changes, leading some pilots to push for immediate FAA approval of existing unleaded fuel options like G100UL.

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GA pilots posed hard questions Monday to a panel of aviation industry stakeholders trying to develop new lead-free, high octane fuel. At this year’s Experimental Aviation Association (EAA) AirVenture airshow in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, several pilots expressed frustration with the lack of available fuel options at many airports.

“We can’t buy 100LL fuel,” one GA pilot complained to the panel. “When can we have some alternative?” That question—and several others like it—drew robust applause among the audience of about 200 people attending a forum on the EAGLE initiative.