Lycoming to approve 93 octane auto gas for O-360 & IO-360

"David L" wrote...
There is no real reason that FBO's can not get un-tainted
gasoline. The alcohols are added in when the truck is filled.
The difficulties are procedural not strategic...

Yes and no. Most trucks have residual when they return to the farm to
refill. Since most FBOs can't take the entire trailer, they will pay a
premium to the trucking firm for a dedicated partial load. That markup is
more than a few cents (more like 10 to 50 cents) per gallon, and then you'll
still get a small mix of residual.

The FBO is also not taking a trailer (or seven) a week, so every run is a
special. That means the trucking co will fit the FBO in with no guarantees.
So the FBO will need to schedule early (so as not to run out) and therefore
will take even a smaller load. Sometimes the load is so small the FBO will
have to take a mini, making the FBO pay for gas not taken.

Also, many of the Quicky Marts make more profits from the food and coffee,
than from the gas pumped. The FBO will not sell at such small margins, so
all said and done the Mogas will likely be a dollar to 1.50 higher than the
Quicky Mart. Now add in what Kyle B mentioned about the Mogas cutting into
the FBOs Avgas sales and it's a loser all around (for the FBO).

Damn those pesky details!

Mike Isaksen wrote:
"David L" wrote...
There is no real reason that FBO's can not get un-tainted
gasoline. The alcohols are added in when the truck is filled.
The difficulties are procedural not strategic...

Yes and no. Most trucks have residual when they return to the farm to
refill. Since most FBOs can't take the entire trailer, they will pay a
premium to the trucking firm for a dedicated partial load. That markup is
more than a few cents (more like 10 to 50 cents) per gallon, and then you'll
still get a small mix of residual.

The FBO is also not taking a trailer (or seven) a week, so every run is a
special. That means the trucking co will fit the FBO in with no guarantees.
So the FBO will need to schedule early (so as not to run out) and therefore
will take even a smaller load. Sometimes the load is so small the FBO will
have to take a mini, making the FBO pay for gas not taken.

Also, many of the Quicky Marts make more profits from the food and coffee,
than from the gas pumped. The FBO will not sell at such small margins, so
all said and done the Mogas will likely be a dollar to 1.50 higher than the
Quicky Mart. Now add in what Kyle B mentioned about the Mogas cutting into
the FBOs Avgas sales and it's a loser all around (for the FBO).

Damn those pesky details!


I really don't think that things are as gloomy as you put it.
i suspect that the fuel trucks are pretty capable of emptying their
trucks at their retailers. When 3000 gallons of fuel is ordered, I
suspect that 3000 gallons are put on the truck and delivered to it's
destination and the truck is emptied. Even if there were a few gallons
remaining, that amount of alcohol in 1000+ gallons of fuel is in the noise.
From the FBO's point of view, if there is a market for mogas, they will
be able to provide a service for it. If multiple FBO's sell mogas, then
competition will make the prices reasonable.
There are always those FBO's that really mark up their prices because
they have a captive crowd and those who would rather sell more fuel for
less of a price but make more money/profit in the end.
From the looks of it, there are more places in the country that provide
un-tainted fuel than sell tainted so the alcohol transport issue would
be a mute point for them.
I wouldn't be surprised if the major manufacturers of engines provided
approval for using mogas in their engines, some FBO's would switch to a
mogas only operation if the sales are there and they can't/won't provide
services for both types of fuels.

At this point this is all speculation on both sides of the fence, but I
can only see the good in offering alternative fuels for our aircraft at
a fair price.

I for one would fly more if the fuel were more reasonably priced and
help support the FBOs which offer affordable fuel.

Dave

How about the requirements for truck delivery of 100LL? I once
understand that there can be no other fuel on board the truck, and
that the tank(s) have to be flushed with 100 LL and the flushing
mixture thrown away (a hazardous waste?) before the airport load is
put in.

nrp writes:

How about the requirements for truck delivery of 100LL? I once
understand that there can be no other fuel on board the truck, and
that the tank(s) have to be flushed with 100 LL and the flushing
mixture thrown away (a hazardous waste?) before the airport load is
put in.

AFAIK, 100LL is not moved by pipeline anywhere. So it's trucked/railed
to either the final destination airport or a truck loading terminal.

I suspect the delivery truck from there may be dedicated to 100LL, but
maybe not.

I can't see the requirement before delivering 100LL; but after may be an
issue lead getting into autogas.

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