The ethanol nightmare has arrived!

I just happened to see a sticker on a fuel pump today that stated "may
contain up to 10% ethanol" while I was filling my car this morning.
Upon further investigation with my fuel retailer, the local fuel jobber,
and the fuel distributor here in Spokane, Washington that there is a
federal mandate to add 9 billion gallons of ethanol per year to the
nationwide gasoline fuel stream. A new twist is a 5.1 cent per gallon
federal fuel tax break to the oil companies to get this "alternative"
fuel into the market. Tomorrow (April 8) is the first day of the
program and the dealers get their price tonight. According to my
sources, there is a possibility that some retailers may opt out, however
if that 5.1 cent break is passed on to them, it won't be likely.

I was lucky and just happened to ask the right question at the right
time. I haven't seen an outcry on this issue by EAA, AOPA or any other
aviation group.

This is a nationwide situation. Not just in a few states. You may not
find non-ethanol autogas at your usual outlet. Our jobber started
mixing in ethanol last week, however I had not purchased any since
mid-March so was unaware.

In essence, with the 5.1 cent per gallon tax break, the US federal
government has just killed the Aviation autogas concept.

I'm trying to locate a new source, but may not be successful. The
ethanol is added at the distribution rack. Chevron and a couple others
are requiring their retailers to go to E-10.


Al
Spokane, Wa
1964 Skyhawk with an AutoGas STC

On Apr 7, 7:41*pm, Al wrote:
I just happened to see a sticker on a fuel pump today that stated "may
contain up to 10% ethanol" while I was filling my car this morning.
Upon further investigation with my fuel retailer, the local fuel jobber,
and the fuel distributor here in Spokane, Washington that there is a
federal mandate to add 9 billion gallons of ethanol per year to the
nationwide gasoline fuel stream. *A new twist is a 5.1 cent per gallon
federal fuel tax break to the oil companies to get this "alternative"
fuel into the market. *Tomorrow (April 8) is the first day of the
program and the dealers get their price tonight. *According to my
sources, there is a possibility that some retailers may opt out, however
if that 5.1 cent break is passed on to them, it won't be likely.

I bet the days of seaplane cross country flying are done. You aren't
going to find ethanol free gas at the docks either.

-Robert

On Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:41:39 -0700, Al
wrote:

This is a nationwide situation. Not just in a few states. You may not
find non-ethanol autogas at your usual outlet.

The local airport stocks mogas without additives, which is a huge boon
to people like me who don't want to put the alky-diluted stuff in our
small engines (snowblower, lawnmower, chainsaw) where it can literally
gum the works. It was four dollars a gallon last time I brought the
stuff home, but I don't use that many gallons in a year.

Happily for us, you can't transport alky-gas over long distances in
pipelines or on tankers, so the stuff is mixed at the port of entry,
which for us is Portland ME, sixty miles north. When the airport owner
needs to fill the mogas main supply, he orders us a truckload of the
unadulterated stuff from the terminal.

This began here four or five years ago as a way of getting mogas
without MBTE in it. Though not as objectional as alcohol, the purists
didn't want to put it in their airplane tanks.


Blue skies! -- Dan Ford

Claire Chennault and His American Volunteers, 1941-1942
new from HarperCollins www.FlyingTigersBook.com

In essence, with the 5.1 cent per gallon tax break, the US federal
government has just killed the Aviation autogas concept.

Thanks for the head's up. We've used over 9,000 gallons of mogas in our
Lycoming O-540, without a burp, at a savings of well over $10K. Obviously
this change will be catastrophic if it is, indeed, nationwide.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On Apr 8, 8:22 am, "Jay Honeck" wrote:
In essence, with the 5.1 cent per gallon tax break, the US federal
government has just killed the Aviation autogas concept.

Thanks for the head's up. We've used over 9,000 gallons of mogas in our
Lycoming O-540, without a burp, at a savings of well over $10K. Obviously
this change will be catastrophic if it is, indeed, nationwide.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

The Conti E-185 in the '47 V tail Bonanza is STCed for mogas, but the
biggest problem is getting it to the airplane.

Jay -- what changes do you see in leaning, startup, etc with mogas v.
100ll?


Dan Mc

Jay -- what changes do you see in leaning, startup, etc with mogas v.
100ll?

The only changes we've seen a

- The oil doesn't turn black
- The plugs don't foul with little BBs of lead
- There is an extra $10,000 in the bank

Anyone who's got the mogas STC and is choosing not to use it is needlessly
burning Ben Franklins at a breath-taking rate.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

On Apr 8, 9:13*am, "Jay Honeck" wrote:
Jay -- what changes do you see in leaning, startup, etc with mogas v.
100ll?

The only changes we've seen a

- The oil doesn't turn black
- The plugs don't foul with little BBs of lead
- There is an extra $10,000 in the bank

Anyone who's got the mogas STC and is choosing not to use it is needlessly
burning Ben Franklins at a breath-taking rate.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

But burning Ben Franklins at a breath-taking rate is normal operation
for aviation. Hence the AMU to lessen the shock.

I'm only kidding of course and if you can burn mogas that's great. I'm
in Florida and our gas pumps are also sprouting the "Ethanol less than
10%" stickers. I heard a blurb on NPR the other day that it's mandated
by the feds for the summer to lessen polution. I think, if I recall
correctly that that's how it started in California as well. The point
of the news blurb was that ethanol prices are spiking causing gas
prices to rise. Also, since they're using corn, tortillas and Fritos
will rise as well.

I'm really thinking that diesel is where piston aviation is going to
survive at all and that will be a significant blow due to the costs of
upgrading existing planes. Most won't bother, I think.

Jay, if your only alternative to keep flying was to drop, say, $40K
into a diesel conversion for Atlas, would you?

I don't own (yet) so I'll have to deal with the rental fleet.

John

On Apr 8, 2:59*am, Cubdriver usenet AT danford DOT net wrote:
On Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:41:39 -0700, Al
wrote:

This is a nationwide situation. *Not just in a few states. *You may not
find non-ethanol autogas at your usual outlet. *

The local airport stocks mogas without additives, which is a huge boon
to people like me who don't want to put the alky-diluted stuff in our
small engines (snowblower, lawnmower, chainsaw) where it can literally
gum the works. It was four dollars a gallon last time I brought the
stuff home, but I don't use that many gallons in a year.

I believe out here in California its illegal to sell mogas w/o the
ethanol.

-robert

Take a look at last week's Time magazine cover article on the great myth of
ethanol. It turns out that the list of 'unintended consequences' is quite
long and the net effect of increased ethanol usage is far more damaging to
the environment than the use of oil-based fuels. (This does not address the
damage to engines, the decreased performance (which means more fuel burned),
impact on other commodities, etc etc).

But of course, to 'Big Corn' (corollary to 'Big Oil') the fact that ethanol
is far from our salvation is ignored. Also by the various politicians who
are deep into the pockets of 'Big Corn'.
wrote in message
...
On Apr 8, 9:13 am, "Jay Honeck" wrote:
Jay -- what changes do you see in leaning, startup, etc with mogas v.
100ll?

The only changes we've seen a

- The oil doesn't turn black
- The plugs don't foul with little BBs of lead
- There is an extra $10,000 in the bank

Anyone who's got the mogas STC and is choosing not to use it is needlessly
burning Ben Franklins at a breath-taking rate.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

But burning Ben Franklins at a breath-taking rate is normal operation
for aviation. Hence the AMU to lessen the shock.

I'm only kidding of course and if you can burn mogas that's great. I'm
in Florida and our gas pumps are also sprouting the "Ethanol less than
10%" stickers. I heard a blurb on NPR the other day that it's mandated
by the feds for the summer to lessen polution. I think, if I recall
correctly that that's how it started in California as well. The point
of the news blurb was that ethanol prices are spiking causing gas
prices to rise. Also, since they're using corn, tortillas and Fritos
will rise as well.

I'm really thinking that diesel is where piston aviation is going to
survive at all and that will be a significant blow due to the costs of
upgrading existing planes. Most won't bother, I think.

Jay, if your only alternative to keep flying was to drop, say, $40K
into a diesel conversion for Atlas, would you?

I don't own (yet) so I'll have to deal with the rental fleet.

John

"pgbnh" wrote in message
...
Take a look at last week's Time magazine cover article on the great myth
of ethanol. It turns out that the list of 'unintended consequences' is
quite long and the net effect of increased ethanol usage is far more
damaging to the environment than the use of oil-based fuels. (This does
not address the damage to engines, the decreased performance (which means
more fuel burned), impact on other commodities, etc etc).

But of course, to 'Big Corn' (corollary to 'Big Oil') the fact that
ethanol is far from our salvation is ignored. Also by the various
politicians who are deep into the pockets of 'Big Corn'.

If it were not such a dissaster for the country, and all of us in it, all of
that would really be quite amusing. ADM, et al, have gotten the
environmentalists signed onto yet another scheme that does little more than
pick our pockets and polute everything in sight--it's MTBE back and bigger
than ever.

Peter