Unleaded Fuel Debate Heats Up in Oshkosh

Tensions flare during a forum discussion on an unleaded replacement for avgas at EAA AirVenture.

Russ Niles

Wednesday, July 24, 2024 at 03:52 PM ET

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Edited By: tccjeremy

Many off-airport landings are the result of fuel mismanagement. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

A forum on unleaded avgas revealed a dispute between GAMI, which asserts its G100UL fuel is ready for distribution and sale via an STC, and the EAGLE initiative (represented by GAMA), which insists on a broader, transparent, peer-reviewed approval process like ASTM.
GAMI's G100UL has received positive operational feedback from AOPA and has 1.3 million gallons available, prompting legislative attempts in some states to ban 100LL in its favor.
Concurrently, testing for another unleaded avgas candidate under the congressionally mandated Piston Aviation Fuel Initiative (PAFI) is slowly progressing.

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OSHKOSH, Wisconsin—Tensions flared briefly at a forum on progress toward an unleaded replacement for avgas Monday at EAA AirVenture.

During the public comment period after formal presentations, Tim Roehl, president of General Aviation Modifications Inc. (GAMI), challenged a couple of points made during the presentations of members and support staff from the End Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions. He told the crowd—smaller than in previous years—that contrary to assertions made during the formal part of the forum, GAMI’s G100UL is indeed ready for distribution and sale.