Six months ago, Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport Director Paul Anslow didn’t want to talk about leaded fuel. He said he had "zero control" over the airport's use of it. Today, the airport is racing to become the first in Colorado to completely phase the fuel out.

Key things here:

The gas used in the small planes with piston-driven propellers has lead in it. Yeah, the same stuff that was banned from automotive fuel because it causes brain damage in kids.

That lead in the fuel airplanes burn? It ends up in kids blood

There’s a new fuel mix starting to be available which doesn’t contain lead, and which works for all airplanes. It’s available in some places in the US, but not all of them yet.

The FAA has a plan to make going lead-free a requirement by 2031…but right now there isn’t anything stopping airport owners (often local governments) from making the switch happen faster. Only thing which might stop this is that the Republican version of the FAA reauthorization bill contains a requirement that airports keep on selling leaded fuel forever, so it’s also important to stop that from becoming law.

  • Em AdespotonEnglish
    91·
    8 months ago

    Because all those old cars are now off the road or running gutless on unleaded fuel.

    But you can’t just run an airplane “slower” or it falls out of the sky.

    On the other hand, mmwave radio issues are in these exact same planes, so maybe we should just admit that they’re no longer safe to fly.

    • nilloc@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
      3·
      8 months ago

      Also airplanes live longer and the rich dudes who own them tend to be conservative.

      They may also be brain dead from lead exposure.

      There was also an argument for valve seat protection afforded by lead gas, but they should eat the cost of engine rebuilds and be forced to comply. Especially as many of those planes are for hobby anyway.