I did not think the AOPA article ignored mogas. It is a solution for some
people, but not a solution for the market as a whole. You can't replace
100LL with mogas when 30% of the planes ( and 70% of the consumption ) can't
use it. You could offer it in parallel with the 100LL, but that would
require the small airports to pay for twice the deliveries, and have twice
the pumping equipment. The airports would also have to figure out how to
ensure the supply is not contaminated. Normal mogas delivery system is not
used to keeping things to a life critical quality. There would also have to
be changes in the tax code so that aviation taxes could be levied on the
mogas. The revenuers job would get harder because they would have to make
sure small airports didn't fill there tanks with mogas at the automobile tax
rate. It is only fair that the mogas aviators pay their share of the FAA and
ATC burden.

I am not saying the infrastructure could not be changed to use mogas, but it
would take the effort of the entire aviation community and the federal
government. There is a lot of inertia to overcome to save a few bucks.

I also agree with posters that claim that mogas can lead to early engine
wear. The fuels may be equivalent under normal circumstances, but if the
engine overheats, the low octane fuel will do a lot more damage than the
high octane fuel.

"nrp" wrote in message
oups.com...
I remember traveling in 1974 with a British engine engineering
consultant who was absolutely positive the US auto manufacturers were
going to be in for a rude surprise when unleaded fuels were foist upon
them by the EPA and the 1975 catalytic converter needs. He predicted
valves and seats would quickly fail creating a massive maintenance
problem.

It never happened. Hardened valve seats were used from the beginning,
and the reduction in engine contamination has given us longer service
intervals and incredibly long lived automotive engines today.

Where are the hardened seats for aircraft engines? Even something that
recognizes some fuels don't have TEL in them? I've lived with over 20
years of autofuel in my O-320-E2D (one of the first STCs from Petersen)
using low cruise powers, hoping to minimize valve seat recession. So
far I've been very successful.

The lack of a consistent airport distribution system to assure quality
for MoGas after 20 years is crazy. There must be other forces at work
that are not obvious to me.