Stupid question about autogas

[Paul Folbrecht]

If I buy a 152 getting the autogas STC appeals to me a lot for the
obvious reason (economy).

What I'm wondering about is exactly how the pilots that are running
autogas are getting it to the airport. I can't imagine the typical
answer is much different than "carting it there in cans" but even a 152
is going to require 5 5-gallon cans for a single fillup! That's a lot
of cans. Is there a better way?

[Jay Honeck]

> What I'm wondering about is exactly how the pilots that are running
> autogas are getting it to the airport. I can't imagine the typical
> answer is much different than "carting it there in cans" but even a 152
> is going to require 5 5-gallon cans for a single fillup! That's a lot
> of cans. Is there a better way?

Yep, it's called "build your own fuel truck." In my case, our fuel truck
is known as "The Mighty Grape." (For reasons which will become obvious
when you see the pix!)

Read the whole story about building our fuel truck at
http://alexisparkinn.com/fuel_truck.htm . It's paid for itself many times
over, AND it provides us with daily, reliable transportation!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Dennis O'Connor]

That way works well...BTW, do you burn 25 gallons every time you go to the
airport?
denny
"Paul Folbrecht" > wrote in message
hlink.net...
> If I buy a 152 getting the autogas STC appeals to me a lot for the
> obvious reason (economy).
>
> What I'm wondering about is exactly how the pilots that are running
> autogas are getting it to the airport. I can't imagine the typical
> answer is much different than "carting it there in cans" but even a 152
> is going to require 5 5-gallon cans for a single fillup! That's a lot
> of cans. Is there a better way?
>

[Matthew P. Cummings]

On Wed, 25 Feb 2004 04:32:10 +0000, Paul Folbrecht wrote:

> answer is much different than "carting it there in cans" but even a 152
> is going to require 5 5-gallon cans for a single fillup! That's a lot
> of cans. Is there a better way?

I've never run my plane out of fuel, so I never have to carry the full
amount of fuel back to the airport. You'll find that 3 cans will do fine.

[jls]

"Paul Folbrecht" > wrote in message
hlink.net...
> If I buy a 152 getting the autogas STC appeals to me a lot for the
> obvious reason (economy).
>
> What I'm wondering about is exactly how the pilots that are running
> autogas are getting it to the airport. I can't imagine the typical
> answer is much different than "carting it there in cans" but even a 152
> is going to require 5 5-gallon cans for a single fillup! That's a lot
> of cans. Is there a better way?
>

I have seen this in the back of a pickup: a 50-gallon barrel with 12-volt
pump from Northern Handyman, a retracting grounding cable, and a gas nozzle
just like you see at the gas station.

[Rosspilot]

I use (3) 5-gal red plastic containers. It's pretty easy for me to dump them
in--even with a high wing. At my field, I can drive right to my plane, so
carrying them is not an issue. Since my tanks always have a mix of avgas and
autofuel, I never need more than 15 gals at a time. I have it down to a pretty
simple routine. I buy my avgas at a nearby field's self-serve station using a
Phillips credit card, where members of the local pilot's assn get a
discount--currently avgas there is $2.47. Auto fuel is running around $1.45.

www.Rosspilot.com

[[email protected]]

Exactly my point. I don't know about everyone else, but I don't fly the
airplane until the "fuel-low" light comes on like I do in my car. I fill my Cherokee
(50 gal tanks) with 6 gallon cans. I find that unless I just came back from a trip and
the tanks are fairly empty, just stopping by the gas station an filling up one or two
on the way to the airport is enough. How often do you fly your 152 more than the 2-2.5
hours you can get in a two 6-gallon cans?

The fuel truck would be great if you flew long distances a lot. If you fly
infrequently or fairly locally, filling from cans isn't that bad. I highly recommend
getting a water-separating filter of some sort, however... pump gas can have a bit of
crud/water in it.

I'm assuming that the 152 qualifies for the 91-octane STC from Petersen only,
right? I've been using 93 A.K.I cargas in my 180 hp O-360 for almost a year (probably
100 hours with cross-countries and instrument training). Haven't had any troubles
(except lack of fouled plugs and more money in the wallet). I do like to keep 20% or
better in 100LL in the takeoff tank... especially in the summer. Probably not
necessary, but the extra detonation margin makes me feel a bit better.

-Cory

Dennis
O'Connor > wrote:
: That way works well...BTW, do you burn 25 gallons every time you go to the
: airport?
: denny
: "Paul Folbrecht" > wrote in message
: hlink.net...
:> If I buy a 152 getting the autogas STC appeals to me a lot for the
:> obvious reason (economy).
:>
:> What I'm wondering about is exactly how the pilots that are running
:> autogas are getting it to the airport. I can't imagine the typical
:> answer is much different than "carting it there in cans" but even a 152
:> is going to require 5 5-gallon cans for a single fillup! That's a lot
:> of cans. Is there a better way?
:>



--
************************************************** ***********************
* The prime directive of Linux: *
* - learn what you don't know, *
* - teach what you do. *
* (Just my 20 USm$) *
************************************************** ***********************

[Greg Burkhart]

"Paul Folbrecht" > wrote in message
hlink.net...
> If I buy a 152 getting the autogas STC appeals to me a lot for the
> obvious reason (economy).
>
> What I'm wondering about is exactly how the pilots that are running
> autogas are getting it to the airport. I can't imagine the typical
> answer is much different than "carting it there in cans" but even a 152
> is going to require 5 5-gallon cans for a single fillup! That's a lot
> of cans. Is there a better way?

Everybody's talking about taking the autogas to the airport... How about
just going to the airports that have autogas? I'm moving my airplane one of
these days to the local airport that offers autogas.

There are several airports within 30 miles that have autogas. I plan my
trips through those...

[Dave S]

What are the legalities of transporting more than 55 gallons of
hazardous materials in your locale? Gasoline IS a hazardous material,
you know. Thats one of the reasons that the nice tanks that are designed
to be carried in pickup truck beds are smaller than that quantity
(unless tied into the vehicle's fuel system)

Things to consider....
Vehicle Licensing?
Driver Training and licensing?
Placarding?


Dave


Newps wrote:

> I have a 100 gallon tank on a 4x8 trailer. There is a battery mounted
> behind the tank for the 12 volt pump. Unless I am going on a trip I
> normally fly with about 40 gallons in my tanks that have an 84 gallon max.
>
> Paul Folbrecht wrote:
>
>> If I buy a 152 getting the autogas STC appeals to me a lot for the
>> obvious reason (economy).
>>
>> What I'm wondering about is exactly how the pilots that are running
>> autogas are getting it to the airport. I can't imagine the typical
>> answer is much different than "carting it there in cans" but even a
>> 152 is going to require 5 5-gallon cans for a single fillup! That's a
>> lot of cans. Is there a better way?
>>
>

[TripFarmer]

I had a 40 gal. steel tank (14 guage) welded for me with a baffle inside. Cost
of steel about $80. $200 for a 13 gpm pump. $15 for a good filter. $20 for a
good hose. I bought an dinstalled a trailer hitch on my SUV and bought a cargo
carrier. Total cost of hitch an dcarrier about $350. I had about $650 in the
total setup. I buy $1.70 fuel (93 octane) instead of 100ll at $3.00. In 8
months I'm ahead of the game. In other words, I've saved over $800.00 so far.


Trip


In article .net>,
says...
>
>If I buy a 152 getting the autogas STC appeals to me a lot for the
>obvious reason (economy).
>
>What I'm wondering about is exactly how the pilots that are running
>autogas are getting it to the airport. I can't imagine the typical
>answer is much different than "carting it there in cans" but even a 152
>is going to require 5 5-gallon cans for a single fillup! That's a lot
>of cans. Is there a better way?
>

[TripFarmer]

Check with the NTEA at 1-800-441-6832 about the legalities in transporting
fuel. They will usually give you a free curtesy call without joining the NTEA.
I believe they told me a year ago that over 119 gals required a plackard,
etc.


Trip



In article . net>,
says...
>
>What are the legalities of transporting more than 55 gallons of
>hazardous materials in your locale? Gasoline IS a hazardous material,
>you know. Thats one of the reasons that the nice tanks that are designed
>to be carried in pickup truck beds are smaller than that quantity
>(unless tied into the vehicle's fuel system)
>
>Things to consider....
>Vehicle Licensing?
>Driver Training and licensing?
>Placarding?
>
>
>Dave
>
>
>Newps wrote:
>
>> I have a 100 gallon tank on a 4x8 trailer. There is a battery mounted
>> behind the tank for the 12 volt pump. Unless I am going on a trip I
>> normally fly with about 40 gallons in my tanks that have an 84 gallon max.
>>
>> Paul Folbrecht wrote:
>>
>>> If I buy a 152 getting the autogas STC appeals to me a lot for the
>>> obvious reason (economy).
>>>
>>> What I'm wondering about is exactly how the pilots that are running
>>> autogas are getting it to the airport. I can't imagine the typical
>>> answer is much different than "carting it there in cans" but even a
>>> 152 is going to require 5 5-gallon cans for a single fillup! That's a
>>> lot of cans. Is there a better way?
>>>
>>
>

[Ben Smith]

> What are the legalities of transporting more than 55 gallons of
> hazardous materials in your locale? Gasoline IS a hazardous material,
> you know. Thats one of the reasons that the nice tanks that are designed
> to be carried in pickup truck beds are smaller than that quantity
> (unless tied into the vehicle's fuel system)

In Wisconsin you don't need placards or special permits if it's under 100
gallons. Hauling gas on a trailer isn't as odd as it sounds. Ever see
those trailers that get hauled on to contruction sites? (For refueling the
Bobcats, etc).

Here's another fine example:
http://tinyurl.com/2esvh

--
Ben
C-172 - N13258 @ 87Y

[G.R. Patterson III]

Paul Folbrecht wrote:
>
> What I'm wondering about is exactly how the pilots that are running
> autogas are getting it to the airport. I can't imagine the typical
> answer is much different than "carting it there in cans" but even a 152
> is going to require 5 5-gallon cans for a single fillup! That's a lot
> of cans. Is there a better way?

When I owned a 150, I carried two 5 gallon cans. I own a pickup truck, so I
could just drop the tailgate, back up to the plane, and stand in the bed of the
truck to fuel up. I always fueled the right tank, counting on the cross-over
line to transfer gas to the left side.

Two cans will keep a 150/2 in the air over 1.5 hours. If you have standard tanks
and ever need more than four cans of gas, you need to seriously re-examine your
attitude towards fuel reserves.

George Patterson
A diplomat is a person who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that
you look forward to the trip.

[Aaron Coolidge]

Rosspilot > wrote:
: I use (3) 5-gal red plastic containers.

I the People's Republic of Massachusetts, the legal limit for transporting
gasoline in portable tanks is ONE tank of FIVE gallons or less capacity.
A portable tank is any tank not connected to the vehicle's fuel system.
Different rules apply for diesel oil. To get kerosene it is required that
you show ID and sign a logbook at the gas station (!).
--
Aaron Coolidge (N9376J)

[TripFarmer]

But there is a Federal law. The NTEA told me it was 119 gals. There are other
parts of the law the NETA can tell you about.


Trip


In article >,
says...
>
>> What are the legalities of transporting more than 55 gallons of
>> hazardous materials in your locale? Gasoline IS a hazardous material,
>> you know. Thats one of the reasons that the nice tanks that are designed
>> to be carried in pickup truck beds are smaller than that quantity
>> (unless tied into the vehicle's fuel system)
>
>In Wisconsin you don't need placards or special permits if it's under 100
>gallons. Hauling gas on a trailer isn't as odd as it sounds. Ever see
>those trailers that get hauled on to contruction sites? (For refueling the
>Bobcats, etc).
>
>Here's another fine example:
>http://tinyurl.com/2esvh
>
>--
>Ben
>C-172 - N13258 @ 87Y
>
>
>

[John Galban]

Paul Folbrecht > wrote in message .net>...
> If I buy a 152 getting the autogas STC appeals to me a lot for the
> obvious reason (economy).
>
> What I'm wondering about is exactly how the pilots that are running
> autogas are getting it to the airport. I can't imagine the typical
> answer is much different than "carting it there in cans" but even a 152
> is going to require 5 5-gallon cans for a single fillup! That's a lot
> of cans. Is there a better way?

Can you get an autogas STC for the 152? It uses the higher
compression Lyc. O-235. The STC is pretty common on the Continental
powered 150, but I've never seen a 152 running on autogas.

John Galban=====>N4BQ (PA28-180)

[John Galban]

Paul Folbrecht > wrote in message .net>...
> If I buy a 152 getting the autogas STC appeals to me a lot for the
> obvious reason (economy).
>
> What I'm wondering about is exactly how the pilots that are running
> autogas are getting it to the airport. I can't imagine the typical
> answer is much different than "carting it there in cans" but even a 152
> is going to require 5 5-gallon cans for a single fillup! That's a lot
> of cans. Is there a better way?

Whoops! Ignore my previous post. I see that Petersen offers a 91
octane STC for the O-235 powered 152.

John Galban=====>N4BQ (PA28-180)

[CriticalMass]

jls wrote:

>I have seen this in the back of a pickup: a 50-gallon barrel with 12-volt
>pump from Northern Handyman, a retracting grounding cable, and a gas nozzle
>just like you see at the gas station.
>
>

We owned a Cherokee 140 prior to our current Comanche 260B.

I had the Cherokee STC'd for mogas, and flew 900 hours or so in it
burning Diamond Shamrock 87 octane regular unleaded.

I drive a pickup, and at the time, I had a 40 gallon fuel tank installed
in the bed, and put a 12 volt pump on that. The pump had a meter that
showed gallons pumped, just like at the gas station.

As the Brits say, "worked a treat".

[CriticalMass]

Greg Burkhart wrote:

>Everybody's talking about taking the autogas to the airport... How about
>just going to the airports that have autogas? I'm moving my airplane one of
>these days to the local airport that offers autogas.
>
>There are several airports within 30 miles that have autogas. I plan my
>trips through those...
>


Well, one reason would be that there are none - within a reasonable
distance, anyway. That's the main reason "everybody's talking about
taking the autogas to the airport".

I know airports do exist that sell mogas, but I've been to a lot of
airports in my area of the country, and I have yet to see one that sells it.

[CriticalMass]

Paul Folbrecht wrote:

> If I buy a 152 getting the autogas STC appeals to me a lot for the
> obvious reason (economy).
>
> What I'm wondering about is exactly how the pilots that are running
> autogas are getting it to the airport. I can't imagine the typical
> answer is much different than "carting it there in cans" but even a
> 152 is going to require 5 5-gallon cans for a single fillup! That's a
> lot of cans. Is there a better way?
>

Certainly, tax laws vary by state. But, if/when the time comes,
consider researching them in your state for possible tax rebates on
mogas you use in your airplane.

In Texas, I filed and got refunds for the mogas I bought and used in the
airplane, since the mogas was not used on Texas roads. A nice little
bonus to the other advantages of using unleaded regular mogas in an
airplane engine not designed to "scavenge" the 4X lead content in 100LL
versus the 80 octane they were intended to burn.

[Newps]

Ever been to Fleet Farm, or whatever they call the farm and ranch store
in your area? You can get tanks in all shapes and sizes from 20 gallons
on up to 120. There are tabs welded on to the bottom so thay can be
mounted in the back of your truck. I had mine mounted in the truck for
a while but it takes up space and stinks up the garage. Don't know what
the laws are, don't care.



Dave S wrote:

> What are the legalities of transporting more than 55 gallons of
> hazardous materials in your locale? Gasoline IS a hazardous material,
> you know. Thats one of the reasons that the nice tanks that are designed
> to be carried in pickup truck beds are smaller than that quantity
> (unless tied into the vehicle's fuel system)
>
> Things to consider....
> Vehicle Licensing?
> Driver Training and licensing?
> Placarding?
>
>
> Dave
>
>
> Newps wrote:
>
>> I have a 100 gallon tank on a 4x8 trailer. There is a battery mounted
>> behind the tank for the 12 volt pump. Unless I am going on a trip I
>> normally fly with about 40 gallons in my tanks that have an 84 gallon
>> max.
>>
>> Paul Folbrecht wrote:
>>
>>> If I buy a 152 getting the autogas STC appeals to me a lot for the
>>> obvious reason (economy).
>>>
>>> What I'm wondering about is exactly how the pilots that are running
>>> autogas are getting it to the airport. I can't imagine the typical
>>> answer is much different than "carting it there in cans" but even a
>>> 152 is going to require 5 5-gallon cans for a single fillup! That's
>>> a lot of cans. Is there a better way?
>>>
>>
>

[Newps]

CriticalMass wrote:

> Greg Burkhart wrote:
>
>> Everybody's talking about taking the autogas to the airport... How about
>> just going to the airports that have autogas? I'm moving my airplane
>> one of
>> these days to the local airport that offers autogas.

At every airport I've been to with mogas the price has been too high, at
least 25 cents over what you pay at the pump at the local gas station.

[Dave S]

In Texas, at the time I obtained a Commercial Driver's License with Haz
Mat endorsement.. youhad to have a placard to haul more than 55 gals..

What I have noticed around here in the truck and trailer shops are that
the "retail" available tanks with a pump and nozzle have a capacity less
than that. There are 80 and 100 gal tanks sold there, but they come with
piping to be connected to the vehicle's fuel system as an "aux tank"
(which obviates the placarding and transport rules)

Dave

Newps wrote:
> Ever been to Fleet Farm, or whatever they call the farm and ranch store
> in your area? You can get tanks in all shapes and sizes from 20 gallons
> on up to 120. There are tabs welded on to the bottom so thay can be
> mounted in the back of your truck. I had mine mounted in the truck for
> a while but it takes up space and stinks up the garage. Don't know what
> the laws are, don't care.
>
>
>
> Dave S wrote:
>
>> What are the legalities of transporting more than 55 gallons of
>> hazardous materials in your locale? Gasoline IS a hazardous material,
>> you know. Thats one of the reasons that the nice tanks that are
>> designed to be carried in pickup truck beds are smaller than that
>> quantity (unless tied into the vehicle's fuel system)
>>
>> Things to consider....
>> Vehicle Licensing?
>> Driver Training and licensing?
>> Placarding?
>>
>>
>> Dave
>>
>>
>> Newps wrote:
>>
>>> I have a 100 gallon tank on a 4x8 trailer. There is a battery
>>> mounted behind the tank for the 12 volt pump. Unless I am going on a
>>> trip I normally fly with about 40 gallons in my tanks that have an 84
>>> gallon max.
>>>
>>> Paul Folbrecht wrote:
>>>
>>>> If I buy a 152 getting the autogas STC appeals to me a lot for the
>>>> obvious reason (economy).
>>>>
>>>> What I'm wondering about is exactly how the pilots that are running
>>>> autogas are getting it to the airport. I can't imagine the typical
>>>> answer is much different than "carting it there in cans" but even a
>>>> 152 is going to require 5 5-gallon cans for a single fillup! That's
>>>> a lot of cans. Is there a better way?
>>>>
>>>
>>
>

[Jay Honeck]

> The fuel truck would be great if you flew long distances a lot.
If you fly
> infrequently or fairly locally, filling from cans isn't that bad. I
highly recommend
> getting a water-separating filter of some sort, however... pump gas can
have a bit of
> crud/water in it.

Our Cherokee 235 is burning 24 gph on takeoff, and around 14 gph in
cruise -- we use a LOT of gas, and do a lot of cross-country flights.

Needless to say, filling 84 gallon gas tanks from 6 gallon cans was a ROYAL
pain in the butt! Not to mention incredibly dangerous. Not to mention
having your nose 10 inches from the gas as you're pouring.

The Mighty Grape has a water separating filter, and can pump the gas *out*
faster than I can pump it *in* at the gas station. It's been a real
Godsend, and has saved me thousands of dollars.

AND -- best of all -- Atlas (our plane) runs far better on car gas than
avgas. No more fouled plugs! :-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Ben Smith]

> In Texas, I filed and got refunds for the mogas I bought and used in the
> airplane, since the mogas was not used on Texas roads. A nice little
> bonus to the other advantages of using unleaded regular mogas in an
> airplane engine not designed to "scavenge" the 4X lead content in 100LL
> versus the 80 octane they were intended to burn.

I found this for the State of Wisconsin:
http://www.dor.state.wi.us/pubs/03mf-107.pdf

If I'm reading the article correctly, I can get a refund of .285 per gallon?
Cha-ching! :)
--
Ben
C-172 - N13258 @ 87Y

[Dennis O'Connor]

Amen brother, amen.. Fat Albert used to eat plugs for breakfast (carbs,
can't lean enough on taxi) until I switched him to the breakfast of
champions...

The mechanic doing the annual pulls a bottom plug (I've run the mogas out
and topped with 100 lousy lead, by then), peers at nearly pristine
porcelain, glares at me, and demands, "You been running that *^&$%#! car gas
in here?"
I do my best offended routine, "Who, me?"
He mumbles, and slaps the plug into the caddy...

denny

"Jay Honeck" > wrote > AND -- best of all -- Atlas
(our plane) runs far better on car gas than
> avgas. No more fouled plugs! :-)

[Ben Smith]

> I found this for the State of Wisconsin:
> http://www.dor.state.wi.us/pubs/03mf-107.pdf
>

Disregard my previous enthusiasm. I found the actual refund claim form, and
in the instructions it says: "Refunds may NOT be claimed on fuel purchased
for use in the following vehicles: Snowmobiles, Recreational Motorboats,
All Terrain Vehicles, and Aircraft."

http://www.dor.state.wi.us/forms/excise/mf-023w.pdf

....But.. they still don't require an FBO to charge the fuel tax on
automotive fuel sold on-site to Aircraft. What's up with that?

[Russell Kent]

Ben Smith wrote:

> ...But.. they [WI] still don't require an FBO to charge the fuel tax on
> automotive fuel sold on-site to Aircraft. What's up with that?

The FBO may not have much of an option. I believe that the fuel distributor is
saddled with duty of turning the tax dollars over to the State (otherwise every
Mom & Pop gas station could be involved in tax fraud), so the FBO may be being
charged the tax by the distributor. It would be up to the FBO to convince the
distributor that the tax isn't due to the State, and there's no financial
incentive for the distributor to take the chance that this is true.

Best bet: move to Texas. :-)

Russell Kent

[G.R. Patterson III]

CriticalMass wrote:
>
> I know airports do exist that sell mogas, but I've been to a lot of
> airports in my area of the country, and I have yet to see one that sells it.

The nearest one to me that I know of is a few hundred miles away.

George Patterson
A diplomat is a person who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that
you look forward to the trip.

[G.R. Patterson III]

John Galban wrote:
>
> Can you get an autogas STC for the 152?

Yes.

George Patterson
A diplomat is a person who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that
you look forward to the trip.

[TripFarmer]

I hope you can. I tried in Alabama and it was a "no go". It only applied to
construction equipment, etc., not airplanes.


Trip

In article >,
says...
>
>> In Texas, I filed and got refunds for the mogas I bought and used in the
>> airplane, since the mogas was not used on Texas roads. A nice little
>> bonus to the other advantages of using unleaded regular mogas in an
>> airplane engine not designed to "scavenge" the 4X lead content in 100LL
>> versus the 80 octane they were intended to burn.
>
>I found this for the State of Wisconsin:
>http://www.dor.state.wi.us/pubs/03mf-107.pdf
>
>If I'm reading the article correctly, I can get a refund of .285 per gallon?
>Cha-ching! :)
>--
>Ben
>C-172 - N13258 @ 87Y
>
>

[Drew Dalgleish]

On Thu, 26 Feb 2004 16:49:41 GMT, "G.R. Patterson III"
> wrote:

>
>
>CriticalMass wrote:
>>
>> I know airports do exist that sell mogas, but I've been to a lot of
>> airports in my area of the country, and I have yet to see one that sells it.
>
>The nearest one to me that I know of is a few hundred miles away.
>
>George Patterson
> A diplomat is a person who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that
> you look forward to the trip.

My local airport sells mogas but the price is .90 a litre compared to
..70-.75 at the gas station. I carry two 25 litre cans to the airport
and top up with the expensive stuff if I need more than that which is
rarely. In the summer when the planes on amphib floats I use the pump
gas cuz the wing is just too high to lift gas cans up to.

Drew Dalgleish
Centralia Ont.

[[email protected]]

TripFarmer > wrote:
: I hope you can. I tried in Alabama and it was a "no go". It only applied to
: construction equipment, etc., not airplanes.

In VA here, it's $0.175/gal if burned in a boat. For an airplane, I'm
assuming they take a nickel out for "airport tax," but you can still get $0.125/gal
back. I got my instrument ticket almost entirely on autofuel (relatively local
training is the *perfect* application of autogas STC). Last fall got a check back for
almost $200. Sheesh... didn't know I'd burned that much gas. Saved about $1500 in
less than a year over buying base-rate 100LL locally.

-Cory

--
************************************************** ***********************
* The prime directive of Linux: *
* - learn what you don't know, *
* - teach what you do. *
* (Just my 20 USm$) *
************************************************** ***********************

[Charles Talleyrand]

"Paul Folbrecht" > wrote in message
hlink.net...
> If I buy a 152 getting the autogas STC appeals to me a lot for the
> obvious reason (economy).
>
> What I'm wondering about is exactly how the pilots that are running
> autogas are getting it to the airport. I can't imagine the typical
> answer is much different than "carting it there in cans" but even a 152
> is going to require 5 5-gallon cans for a single fillup! That's a lot
> of cans. Is there a better way?


I own a Cessna 150. I believe I can describe the procedure.

1) Buy 4 tanks of 2.5 gallons each. You want small tanks because you'll
have to lift them to the top of the high wing will standing on a ladder.

2) Buy a very large trash bag. You will store the bag in your trunk.
Store the gas cans in the bag. If you just have gas cans sitting in
your trunk, you will smell them.You will spill into the trunk, which is
just bad.

3) Buy a funnel. It makes everything easier.

4) On the way to the airport, try and remember how much fuel is
missing from the tanks. Fill up that number of cans.

5) At the airport, transfer fuel from the cans into the airplane.
Fill the right wing first (on my plane, that's always the tank
with less gas).

6) Dip the tanks. You should have plenty of fuel.

7) If you've bought too much fuel, put it in the car. But this should
not happen.

I do have some final words of advice. You don't need to
fill the tanks totally. If you're cruising around town for an hour,
and don't burn more than 6.5 gallons per hour, then 20 gallons
is enough. This means if you last flight was from full tanks and
only lasted 0.5 hours, you can probably go cruising again without
doing anything more than verifying fuel quantity.

The goal is to keep the tanks mostly full. You don't want to
start with empty tanks and fill by hand. It's too much of a pain.

You only own 4 tanks of 2.5 gallons each. If you ever burn more than
10 gallons (like on a long cruise), and need full tanks on the very next flight
(like another long cruise) then pay for avgas at the pump. This is a
very rare occurrence.

Finally, please realize that a 2.5 gallon tank only holds about 2.2
gallons. That's just how it is.

[CriticalMass]

Newps wrote:

> At every airport I've been to with mogas the price has been too high,
> at least 25 cents over what you pay at the pump at the local gas station.


And so it is, in the aviation business.

It's wrongly assumed that we have more money than we need, and can
therefore afford to squander it. Those who are willing to pay those
inflated mogas prices on airports that sell it give credibility to this
misconception.