Pay attention! says my great-nephew Bobby, six, when he has important information to convey. "Pay attention right now!"

I ask you to "pay attention right now" to what I'm about to tell you about aviation fuels. It is important, especially to those of you dealing with high power, turbocharged or big radial engines.

The 100LL fuel used by the majority of general aviation airplanes is going to go away, according to Ben Visser, a consultant for Aeroshell. The most serious questions concern when it will happen and how we will deal with it in the meantime.

"When" probably will be determined either by economics or politics.

Only two refineries in the world still make tetraethyl lead, the additive that gives leaded gasoline its name, Visser told us. The only remaining U.S. markets for leaded fuel are aviation and automobile racing, both currently excepted from the EPA ban on the stuff. However, leaded fuels are disappearing rapidly, elsewhere in the world, and when the market for tetraethyl lead is too small even to keep one plant open, nobody will produce it. That's the economic side.

The political factor is somewhat different. Visser believes that a total ban on leaded fuels in this country is "three to seven years away, depending on the next presidential election." But, he predicted, nothing will be done by the aviation community until it is too late. There will be a "total panic 82.7 days after passage of any new law," he commented dryly. Ideally, the industry would try to get ahead of the lawmakers by making its own proposal, but Visser- who should know- says that the refiner, engine builders and airframe manufacturers have been unwilling to get together for such an effort.

Before leaded fuel disappears, a number of practical problems need to be faced by those of us who use it. Leadless fuel is much more complicated to manufacture than the familiar leaded stuff, thus more expensive. Naturally aspirated engines will run on a suitable unleaded fuel, although they will need some modifications at the first overhaul after switching over. But, Visser says, "turbocharged engines would require major changes" probably costing $15,00 to $20,000 per engine, with FADEC being only a partial solution. "About 70% of the aircraft engines will be OK with 95 octane unleaded," Visser says, but he points out that "the other 30% burn 75% of the avgas," meaning the high- powered singles and twins, whose owners can look forward to expensive conversions once 100LL is gone. And, he said, "there is simply no solution for the big radials," which primarily means the Warbirds that so many of us treasure.

The bottom line, quite simply, is that leaded gas will disappear within the easily foreseeable future. When that occurs, and how the general aviation community deals with it, remain to be seen. It is discouraging that most of us are either hiding our heads in the sand or, Micawber-like, cheerfully assuming that 'something will come along."

Don't count on it.

Take young Bob's advice. "Pay attention right now!" Start thinking about how your national organizations, your type clubs, your EAA chapters, your $100 hamburger gangs, and you personally can get involved in figuring out the problems and seeking solutions.

In all likelihood the loss of 100LL will affect you, very personally. The time to pay attention is right now.

(This opinion reprinted from The Southern Aviator, June 2002)

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Texas Hall of Fame Honors Tony Bingelis & Jeanna Yeager

The Texas Hall of Fame included Tony Bingelis and Jeanna Yeager among their inductees on Nov. 8th. Known to many of us personally or through his writing for the EAA. Tony Bingelis aided thousands of EAA members in their building and maintenance efforts. His recent passing has left all of us poorer but his legacy of books and articles will always remain. Tony began his conversion to "Texan" in 1942 in the Army Air Corps Aviation Training Program in Uvalde, Tx. and started his first homebuilt in a coat closet in Japan in 1960. In 1972 he was asked to write three articles for Sport Aviation which began his decades long association with the EAA.

Jeanna Yeager was born in Ft. Worth in 1952 and earned her pilots license in 1978. Two years later she met Dick and Burt Rutan, a relationship which culminated in the non-stop around the world flight in the Voyager

The FAA is still warning: "Such (terrorist) operations, possibly involving civil and GA aircraft, could be conducted whenever attack preparations are complete and operations are in place."

The incredible, inflatable, Prohibited Area has made 1000 acres of Crawford, Texas safe from 172's but I'm still concerned about the lack of security at our meetings. I have proposed to Chapter Leadership that the following measures be instituted immediately!

1. Establish an Office Of Plane Security with a paid Director (me).

2. Check photo ID's before being allowed to enter Housemans hangar.

3. Shoes must be removed and left outside during the meeting.

4. A pat down search will be conducted. I will be doing our female members, there have been no

volunteers to do the male members yet.

5. An immediate dues increase of 20% to finance OOPS

Understand that we are doing this for your safety, not to build an empire for ourselves. However, we will vote on this measure in secret and anyone who does not support it will be considered "Obstructionist" and will be investigated and asked to testify at upcomming hearings .

Damon Berry

Director, Office Of Plane Security and newsletter editor

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