Not A 100LL Replacement, But A Fuel To Run Engines Rated For Lower Octanes

By Anthony Liberatore

At an AirVenture news conference Thursday, Swift Fuels CEO Chris D'Acosta  to elaborate discussed the company's 94 MON (Motor Octane Number) unleaded fuel that is FAA and ASTM certified. D'Acosta noted it is an all hydrocarbon aviation fuel, and it not a replacement for 100LL, but a fuel to serve the lower octane rated engines primarily 91 octane or lower.

D'Acosta noted it is an all hydrocarbon fuel (no ethanol), low gum forming, and it is commercially insurable. Although the fuel is currently only being blended in their Lafayette Indiana. facility, efforts are underway to find refiners in various regions of the United States to produce Swift's fuel for nationwide availability. To utilize Swift fuel in a type certificated aircraft the aircraft must have an STC to do so. The process is best described by the quote below from Swift's website:

"As part of its unleaded fuel transition strategy for 94 MON avgas, the company has forged an exclusive partnership with Petersen Aviation to offer new Avgas Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) for thousands of aircraft that are now compatible with 94 MON avgas. Swift Fuels and Petersen Aviation have worked with the FAA for approval of the required STCs, which could allow most any class of airplane engine rated 94 motor-octane-number (MON) or lower to use Swift’s fuel. Swift’s team estimates that more than 40% of the existing US aircraft fleet is already qualified with FAA STC’s to fly using its 94 MON aviation gasoline and more are planned soon."

D'Acosta addressed the ultimate question about Swift's, it's price. As you can imagine, their  are some caveats such as Swift doesn't set the local price at your FBO and also noted this is a premium product. With that said, D'Acosta noted close to Swifts Lafayette Indiana blending facility there currently are 3 FBO's offering their 94 MON  unleaded fuel. The airfields are Griffith-Merrillville Indiana and is selling it for $4.00/gallon, Brooks Field Marshall Michigan at $4.15/gallon and Anderson Municipal at $4.25/gallon.

In the remainder of this flying season Swift  will increase the availability of their fuel  and likely ship to other FBO's nationwide. D'Acosta in a lighter moment wanted to give a "shout out" to AA Chapter 226 from Anderson Indiana of which many members of Chapter 256 are using Swift fuel in their homebuilts and are loving it. In 2016 Swift plans to dramatically increase their output of their fuel.

FMI: https://swiftfuels.com