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0 points_hl_3y ago0 comments

> Getting rid leaded avgas

I was shocked to hear that leaded gasoline is still around, so I did a quick search. Turns out most (all?) piston-engine driven airplanes still run on leaded gas. Jet airliners don't, so I'm not sure if the overall impact is significant, but nonetheless shocking to hear that we're still spraying lead into the air we breathe.

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S2013y ago

Yes, 100LL still has lead in it. And despite what it may seem based on skewed figures from those who want to see local airports closed so they can build more strip malls and condos, there has been a 99.99% reduction of lead pollution from gasoline overall since the phase out of automotive leaded gas. We're working on getting unleaded avgas, you can blame the FAA for it taking so darn long, but it's hardly an environmental emergency.

> Turns out most (all?) piston-engine driven airplanes still run on leaded gas

Not technically all. There is unleaded avgas although it's not yet common and some piston planes are diesel.

Ancalagon3y ago

Some of the new piston planes I believe are rated to use unleaded but the problem has been legislation and the FAA regarding getting unleaded approved to make it legal and ubiquitous

jandrese3y ago

The FAA has been dragging their feet on this issue for over 20 years now. At first the excuse was that there wasn't a viable alternative, but now there is and they are still slow rolling it. The administration has a almost pathological fear of change.

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