"Owen" wrote in message ...
Peter Dohm wrote:

If you had to do a bit of crystal ball gazing, what do you think the
engines
of the GA fleet will be drinking in 10-15 years time?

The same avgas as today, just much more expensive?

Jet-A in diesel engines?

Something else?


When the alternative fuel discussion, and the automotive fuel STC, first
gained popularity; I read that 100LL AvGas was about 96 octane without
the
lead.

That would suggest an obvoius solution of 96 octane for most of the
fleet,
and blend-at-the-pump (or from the truck) for those that actually make
use
of the higher octane fuel. OTOH, that makes too much sense...

From what I understand, the TEL is just far too toxic to deal with when it
isn't dilluted by a lot of (also toxic) gasoline. It's challenging enough
at
the oil company production tank farm level, I don't see how it would work
at
the pump dispensing (or even regional terminal) level.

Do you have a cite for the toxicity (sp?)... I know that there are tens of
thousands of people who dealt with 100 to 140 octane highly leaded gasolines
over the years and I don't see many old guys at the airport growing extra
ears or with problems that is/are/was/were seemingly caused by leaded fuel..


NASCAR is finally going lead free in the very near future, I expect
piston
aircraft will as well. Even absent a government regulation banning lead
fuel
in aircraft, the simple economics of the situation will make it more and
more
untenable.

I agree. Leaded fuel will eventually become so pricy that everyone who can
will move to unleaded fuel, and that'll drive a downward spiral forcing
100LL out of the market. I feel sorry for the folks flying aircraft with
highly stressed engines which really need the extra octane, 'cause they are
gonna be left out in the cold.