ALHAMBRA, Calif. — General William J. Fox Airfield in Lancaster and Compton/Woodley Airport could become early leaders among the five Los Angeles County-owned municipal airports on track to reduce and ultimately eliminate leaded fuel for general aviation aircraft.
Prompted by a Feb. 23, 2022, Federal Aviation Administration announcement of a public-private initiative to transition to lead-free fuels for piston-engine aircraft by the end of 2030, the County Airports Advisory Commission discussed but took no action on a new “Special Topic,” entitled Replacing 100LL Avgas with Unleaded Alternative.
Although the federal government’s acronym EAGLE (Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions) intent is to ban any leaded fuel in all aircraft, a county official told Aerotech News the FAA initiative is one of those California style legislative strategies which bans production or sale of a substance, assuming it will be replaced in time by an acceptable alternate not yet invented.
The good news is that “sustainable aviation fuel” (SAF) is available as a “drop-in fuel.” According to energy industry and civil aviation news reports, the fuels are similar to fossil fuels and can be pumped, stored, and used within the existing fueling infrastructure. Hydrocarbons come from such sustainable sources as waste cooking oils, animal fats, waste biomass, and municipal solid waste.
The issue for Los Angeles County-owned general aviation airports is how, when or even whether to offer a third category of fuel that isn’t totally lead-free and serves about a quarter of piston-engine aircraft. Commission Chairman Curt Castagna said offering a third fuel would accommodate about 66 percent of the piston-engine fleet, but the rest with higher compression engines account for around 70 percent of fuel sales.
Commissioner Dennis Lord told aviation commission colleagues that two of the five airports under management by the Aviation Division of the County Department of Public Works, Fox Field and Compton/Woodley have the potential to support a third fuel for pilots.
Other Southern California airports, including Los Angeles International, Santa Monica Airport and Van Nuys Airport are offering SAF, along with fixed base operators at those and other airports around the state.
County commissioners and managers of the Department of Public Works Aviation Division agreed to keep the sustainable fuels issue on the meeting agenda.
Marketing and PR strategy
Another discussion going back to the county’s mid-2021 takeover of airports management is creating a marketing and PR strategic plan to win friends in airport neighborhoods and generate more business revenue.
Still up for discussion at the close of February’s meeting, the PWD delivered a solution on March 28. Paul Maselbas, assistant deputy director of the DPW, told commissioners the department has hired a consultant to develop the plan, Coffman & Associates. The Overland Kansas-based company with the corporate motto “Airport planning is all we do,” has an office in Los Angeles.
Commissioners heard the report without questions or comment.
Airport closure study due
In response to a movement calling on the County to ask the Federal Aviation Administration to shut down Whiteman Airport, Aviation Commission staff told the Commission a follow-up report with recommendations is expected to go before the County Board of Supervisors on April 7.
Citizens in the Whiteman Airport Community have been holding pro-airport events, reportedly attracting a hundred or more persons, and updated a website,
Fox Field put on back burner
Jason Morgan, Aviation Division assistant chief, announced that the first in-person meeting of the Commission since the start of virtual sessions will be an evening public session at Whiteman Airport in April.
In February, the Commission was told the March meeting was to be in-person at Fox Field, which was next in line for meeting rotation. He did not elaborate on how or why the rotation was altered.
The post Airports Commission news March 2022 General aviation airports facing tough fuel rules appeared first on Aerotech News & Review.