Higher prices for fuel decrease flying
August 31, 2012, 02:17 pm
A recent study released by MIT graduate student Kamala Shetty shows that higher fuel prices lead to less flying. The study, Current And Historical Trends In General Aviation In the United States, gleaned its results from surveys from pilots on their flying habits.
“As also seen in the historical trends, fuel costs and costs in general have had a major influence on the activity levels of those surveyed," read the conclusion in the study. "The results of the survey echoed what the trends implied - economic recessions and fuel costs are major factors that impede the growth of activity.”
The survey showed that nearly 80 percent of pilots said they would quit flying if fuel prices were to reach $8 a gallon, which is less than avgas prices in many countries with thriving general aviation. The problem, though, is that exchange rates play a large role in comparing the prices with other countries. Many other countries have a large percentage of pilots sharing the cost of fuel with large aero clubs, and they often use far more efficient LSA-class aircraft and take advantage of lower-cost, lead-free and ethanol-free fuel than the United States.
Results from a study by the Aviation Fuel Club showed that between 80 to 83 percent of current piston aircraft could use autogas for fuel. Auto gas is ethanol-free, lead-free. It was approved by the Federal Aviation Administration in 1982 and is nearly $1.40 cheaper than leaded avgas provided at airports.
"We determined then that approximately 115,000 aircraft were capable of burning autogas using STCs from the EAA and my company, Petersen Aviation," said Todd Peterson, a founding director of the Aviation Fuel Club. "This represented about 78 percent of all piston aircraft in 1992, and we did not include homebuilts, ultralights or piston rotorcraft, most of which may operate on autogas. Much has changed since 1992, with many owners of heavy twin aircraft that needed avgas having switched to turbine aircraft, and with continued growth in the homebuilt and more recently the LSA sectors."
The study showed that nearly 127,168 fixed-wing and rotary piston aircraft are capable of running on the gas. There are approximately 33,000 registered Experimental- Amateur Built aircraft and 500 are added each year, according to the Experimental Aircraft Association. They estimate that 100 percent of these homebuilts could operate using autogas. Furthermore, there are 2,235 registered Light Sport Aircraft and approximately 1,600 of these have engines that can operate on autogas.
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