Airfields with Mogas

[kgwilson]

The one disadvantage of Mogas IMO is that it includes a number of light "Aromatics" such as Benzene, Toluene and Xylene which evaporate off quickly in tanks that are half full or less. This is why you should top up with fresh fuel if the aircraft hasn't run for a couple of weeks. The BP study showed that old fuel when aromatics have evaporated off results in a leaner mixture resulting in higher temperatures that can cause detonation, pre-ignition and piston damage in high revving engines. It can also make the engine harder to start. The Jabiru engine is of course a low revving engine. The aromatics though are able to permeate through the vinylester walls of fuel tanks and if you have a fuselage mounted tank makes the cockpit stink of petrol. It is annoying but goes away once fresh air blows through. If I was building again I'd put in an aluminium fuel tank to avoid this despite the weight penalty.

[RFguy]

Yeah. At the moment the plane's fuel is in the tanks for no more than about 5 days before it is used completely . I fuelled it last on friday evening after flying. Due to the plane going U/S saturday, (sunken Bing float) , probably will use that on Thursday or Friday and fresh will go in immediately. (ROTAX)

The Turtlepac site is good. A must have. Thanks Skip.

[skippydiesel]

 

The Turtlepac site is good. A must have. Thanks Skip.

Bit pricey but have been repeatedly tested to well exceed aviation standards - I guess you gets what you pay for. The principal Lazlo is quite the character, with many truly great adventures to his credit.

[jackc]

Regarding the "Or carry extra inboard" - Probably the best collapsible/bladder ferry tanks come from "Turtle- Pack" -https://www.turtlepac.com/ made in Qld - easy to fit in the passenger seat or in the "cargo" area. With the addition of a small transfer pump you can have 40 litres or more, additional in flight capacity

One of these is on my purchase list, won’t go over MTOW as a lone PIC

[jackc]

Dingo, Qld. Short taxi to roadhouse and fill up at driveway pumps, confirmed with their boss 3 weeks ago.

[johnm]

gympie queensland has mogas .......................... credit card required

[Graham Pukallus]

It's a good question. The primary source of information would be the ERSA but the MOGAS availability will come with qualifications like "by prior arrangement" and "from drums". If the data was in tabular format it would be easier to provide but it would be technically out of date in the next ERSA.

 

Clifton YCFN has MOGAS and this is in the ERSA.

Gympie has MOGAS.

[Blueadventures]

On local then cross country...

At the moment, I fill up the airplane I train in at Cowra from the 98 bowser (in Cowra) into Jerrys and cart them to the airport, and fuel 'my plane', I do the alcohol test on new fuel, and and dump the bottom of the jerry cans .

 

Now, if I am planning a cross country, seems I need to either

 

a) go avgas : dump the MOGAS out of the system and go to AVGAS for the trip.

b) stay mogas : have a sufficient endurance to en route via MOGAS availability either at the airport, or get into local town with a couple of 20 litre jerrys or transport bladders. Or carry extra inboard

 

is this the general method ?

Are you using a 'Mr Filter' in this refueling procedure. If not I recommend using such. Cheers

[RFguy]

Are you using a 'Mr Filter' in this refueling procedure. If not I recommend using such. Cheers

Not at the moment, although I am careful with not using the bottom of the jerry can, and toss that out. Yes I will organise a filter and some sort of hand pump. I think the fueling procedure, especially since it is at home at the aerodrome, could be tightened up a bit. I've only been there for 2 weeks. (I started flying 29 Aug, Solo 11 Sept 19.2h ) , but I have put about 350 litres in I guess...

 

I really want what we use during helicopter operations- long draw stick, rotary handle pump with a filter and hose. Need to locate that.

Where to buy/ procure - doesnt need to be for drums like JetA, but must have same functionality. No electric pumps thanks on refueling with gasoline.

 

-Glen.

[Savannah 1770]

Hi all,

 

I'm beginning to put a listing together of all airfield which have access to mogas on site, via bowser or drum, however I'm not having much luck searching online. ERSA is great for avgas but not forthcoming about Mogas.

 

Would really appreciate your help through posting any airfields you know of with Mogas available and any arrangements for its use. Btw, if this already exists in some form then would be great to share.

 

Once I get a bit of a list together happy to share.

 

Thanks

[Savannah 1770]

Hi Jay

Gympie aerodrome (YGYM) has mogas and Avgas available via bowser using normal credit card.

Charles

[Savannah 1770]

On local then cross country...

At the moment, I fill up the airplane I train in at Cowra from the 98 bowser (in Cowra) into Jerrys and cart them to the airport, and fuel 'my plane', I do the alcohol test on new fuel, and and dump the bottom of the jerry cans .

 

Now, if I am planning a cross country, seems I need to either

 

a) go avgas : dump the MOGAS out of the system and go to AVGAS for the trip.

b) stay mogas : have a sufficient endurance to en route via MOGAS availability either at the airport, or get into local town with a couple of 20 litre jerrys or transport bladders. Or carry extra inboard

 

is this the general method ?

[JG3]

JG's ( JG3 this forum ) website Stolspeed has a Map of available fuel

 

StolSpeed Aerodynamics - Performance Enhancement for Light Aircraft

That's way out of date; I haven't kept it up. There's way more available now as already demonstrated. Excellent project. Hopefully tied in with OzRunways for convenience.

[skippydiesel]

Are you using a 'Mr Filter' in this refueling procedure. If not I recommend using such. Cheers

 

 

Agree 100% with the sentiment however I find Mt Filter funnels to be virtually unusable in my application. You pretty well need a, close to, horizontal fill point for Mr Funnel to work. An expensive failure in my situation.

 

I have made up two filter funnel, using off the shelf funnels with long flexiable delivery spouts, bit of fencing wire bent into a hook and covered with shrink tape to prevent scratching paint work,

the same filter media (cloth) as the fuel stations and the another using a carefully modified in line filter. One for home one for going away.

 

I can now fill without having to hold the funnel.

[kgwilson]

I have had a Mr Funnel since I first started my aircraft engine when it was brand new & yes it is good with fillers on top of the fuselage or wings where all 3 of my tanks filler caps are. I tested it with some water when new as the instructions advised & found it worked perfectly. Since then I have never found a speck of dirt or water in any fuel I've purchased which is the way it should be. It is nice to have that confidence though after each fill. It is now so much a habit I would not feel right if I just poured the fuel straight from the jerrycan in to the tank.

[dlegg]

I have had a Mr Funnel since I first started my aircraft engine when it was brand new & yes it is good with fillers on top of the fuselage or wings where all 3 of my tanks filler caps are. I tested it with some water when new as the instructions advised & found it worked perfectly. Since then I have never found a speck of dirt or water in any fuel I've purchased which is the way it should be. It is nice to have that confidence though after each fill. It is now so much a habit I would not feel right if I just poured the fuel straight from the jerrycan in to the tank.

Exactly the same experience for me, always used the filter funnel but never gets dirty. Mogas is very reliable I have found after using 1000's of litres.

[RFguy]

There is a filter in most petroleum bowsers, so if the hose and Jerry's are clean., should be OK. ... There would be the potential for the fueling nozzle at the bowser to get dirty, so that needs some attention. Lots of dirt and crap accumulates around the filling cap of my vehicle. Still, I'd like ahand pump and filter and hose. I can reach up to the filling caps on the high wing brumby.

[skippydiesel]

Interesting - I too have used a filter funnel for perhaps 400+ hrs or so and although only a very very small amount, I consistently have contaminants in my fuel.

 

I use well sealed "plastic" fuel containers, fuel/oil grade delivery hose, have both ends of my funnel caped, when not in use and a petrol (rather than diesel) rated fuel pump, so the contaminants can only be coming in the fuel.

 

My aircraft's in line fuel filters rarely have any contaminants at the 50 hr inspections.

 

I have on occasion opened my ground based vehicle fuel filters and there is always a good quantity of contaminant trapped therein. True this can come from a range of sources not just the fuel.

 

I would speculate that, if you are using a Mr Filter Funnel, you are, in effect, washing out any contaminants, every time you empty the funnels "sump"

[RFguy]

I will buy a Mr Funnel as a starting point , See suitable sizes are the F8 C LARGE (19 litres per minute size) or XL (45 LPM) . same physical size.

Any preferred vendor I should use ? I have purchased from the Mr Funnel website (F15 size - 45LPM)

 

Now, I need to look for a suitable hand pump , hose , caps. Will fit a big dog clip at the filling end so the output end of the hose can clamp to Mr Funnel edge.

Edited September 15, 2020 by RFguy

[skippydiesel]

.....................................

 

Now, I need to look for a suitable hand pump , hose , caps. Will fit a big dog clip at the filling end so the output end of the hose can clamp to Mr Funnel edge.

 

 

Suggest 12V electric. Powered from aircraft battery or portable. Can be assembled from between $70 - $100 - you will find all the details on a prior conversation

[RFguy]

NFW ! I am not having switches and contacts with electrical currents going click near gasoline. You gotta be kidding ?!!!! ?????. (maybe near kerosene but not gas)

(I have a background in intrinsically safe environments- I have an aversion to explosive environments and electricity)

Edited September 16, 2020 by RFguy

[onetrack]

You can utilise an electric automotive fuel pump, but the connections you install are the critical area. A properly-designed petrol pump is totally flameproof. Arcing at connection points is a real threat.

No "consumer level" electric pump is designed for pumping petrol, they all specify "diesel only".

The danger is in the fumes, not the liquid. Remember, petrol fumes in confined spaces have substantial explosive power - and even in unconfined spaces, they will start a fire from many metres away.

After you've watched a 200 litre drum, containing nothing but petrol vapour, travel 300M after it's been ignited (purposely, for demonstration purposes), you gain a whole new level of respect for the power in petrol fumes.

[RFguy]

Hi One track .yes all correct ! you wont find me using an electric pump with wires dangling out of it near gasoline, unless the cable is double sheathed in stainless braid, the connection double strain relieved and fuel proof flex plastic over-molded into a pump with a failsafe internal barrier between the motor and the liquid housing. I agree there are safe pumps, but the hand pump us OK for me only 60-150 litres... . I'm not pumping 500 litres in. The certified intrinsically safe explosive atmosphere gasoline pumps with all their suitable wiring and connections all foolproof is not cheap. Call me risk averse, but fueling an aircraft with gasoline is a hazardous activity IMO, and hence I will do it in a suitable risk mitigated manner.

[onetrack]

In 1975, I watched the Mobil bulk fuel depot in Norseman, W.A. burn completely to the ground - multiple bulk tanks, buildings, the lot.

 

The cause? The depot had a fuel bowser inside the compound that was available to the public for fuel purchases for road vehicles.

One traveller pulled in with a car and caravan, and refuelled his car. In doing so, he overfilled the tank and splashed a couple of litres on the ground (a common problem when refuelling).

 

Despite all the warning signs about "No Naked Flames", No Smoking", etc, the traveller forgot he'd left his gas fridge in his caravan, alight. The petrol fumes drifted into the caravan and ignited.

Once the fuel on the ground ignited, the car caught fire - followed by the caravan. In the ensuing panic, fire extinguishers were only located and used too late. The local fire brigade was only volunteers, and they took a while to get going.

 

The burning car and caravan set the bowsers on fire, and then the buildings lit up - followed by the bulk tanks. Amazingly, there were three large overhead petrol tanks located in the depot, probably about 40,000 litres each.

These tanks became heated by the fire underneath, and their spring-loaded vents opened, setting fire to the escaping fuel vapour, until they were roaring like huge Roman candles.

I sat and watched the firies play water on the tanks until they cooled, then the vents snapped shut, and the fire from them went out!

 

The depot loss ran into hundreds of thousands of dollars and brought about a major change in fuel depot layout, so that any bowsers installed, are now located outside the depot and well away from any bulk tanks or buildings.

Many bulk depots removed their bowsers completely after that event. So be very aware of any potential sources of vapour ignition within 50M of your refuelling activities - particularly in the direction the wind is travelling.

[BirdDog]

Mogas availability is a concern, it has a very short shelf life ( a couple of weeks). If it is 'Too old'

 

It can damage your engine.

 

I usually buy Mogas from busy Sevice stations.

 

 

Hmm... I would not mind seeing the data on this. Yes, fuel changes over time, but 2 weeks. No. After about 5 weeks or so it has a little bit of a change that only make your engine run rich - not what I would call damaging!!

 

Given that I run 95RON as prescribed by Rotax, I am not concerned.

 

https://www.bp.com/content/dam/bp/country-sites/en_au/australia/home/products-services/fuels/opal-factsheet-storagehandling.pdf