We were discussing when this might happen in the AC league chat a few months ago:
https://www.engadget.com/the-epa-takes-initial-step-towards-regulating-lead-fuel-used-by-small-planes-212425524.html?src=rss
Just recently I made a stop in a neighborhood next to a tiny airport/fancy airfield with uninterrupted and very audible small aircraft traffic overhead, I wondered if living under the world's most boring airshow 24/7 made houses in the neighborhood any cheaper (seemed like a nice neighborhood, maybe above-average-size houses)...but I should've also considered the health effects of living in a place that probably has airborne lead levels like it's 1959.
"Leaded" aviation fuel has had significantly less lead in it over the years, this is really nothing new. 2023 avgas is not 2000 avgas is definitely not 1959 avgas.
It's also a pretty safety critical thing to not hurt an airplane engine. Which is really why changing aviation motors takes so very long.
A ton of people are running auto gas through their planes now for economy reasons. The sales of avgas are surely down from times past.
EPA vs FAA: place your bets.
ISTR that there is at least one company that is trying to get FAA approval for unleaded avgas that is compatible with current general aviation engines, but from what I've been reading, the FAA isn't exactly displaying unseeming haste when it comes to the approval process.
Duke said:EPA vs FAA: place your bets.
My money is on the FAA... for the most part they actually know what's going on.
In reply to triumph7 :
If you've ever taken an FAA written test, you wouldn't think that. Ever.
Duke said:EPA vs FAA: place your bets.
EPA, maybe not this time, but eventually.
Appleseed said:In reply to triumph7 :
If you've ever taken an FAA written test, you wouldn't think that. Ever.
My gripe is that the their testing forced you to learn antiquated equipment/techniques, while not testing on current equipment (at least when I was taking flight lessons). Even our pretty old/basic C172 didn't have some of the radio navigation equipment still on the written test because it had been removed and replaced with a very basic GPS before I bought into the plane... But written test, at the time didn't ask E36 M3 about GPS usage/navigation; only asked about the stuff WW2 bombers were using to navigate.
In reply to Appleseed :
Licensed pilot SEL since 1978, A&P IA for 30 years. Most FAA people have come out of the industry, especially in the maintenance areas.
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