Closing Shell Fuel Facilities

[Guest JRMobile]

Recieved a letter from Shell Aviation Fuel Facilities today with more bad news for avgas users,GA, or flying in general. I quote:

 

"I write to advise that Shell has withdrawn, or is the process of withdrawing its aviation refuelling facilites at ten regional airports across Australia."

 

 

 

"Over the past few years demand for aviation fuel at several airports around Australia has declined. At the same time, the cost of maintaining aviation facilities to increasingly strict standards has risen. As a result, Shell is closing its operations at ten airports."

 

Could this be another symptom of the over-regulation that is making GA unaffordable for many, leading to a decline in GA flying.

 

Which in turn is coming back to haunt us in RAAus.

 

 

[GraemeK]

The airports involved are:

 

Lethbridge, Coffs Harbour, Horn Island, Yarrawonga, Deniliquin, Parafield, Karumba, Bamaga, Mount Gambier and Point Cook.

 

Apart from money hungry oil companies, is this a sign of GA in decline - a bit of a spiral, declining pilots and hours flown leading to cutbacks leading to decline, etc etc.?

 

Seems to me that RA has an important role to play here in encouraging people back into aviation.

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Mind you it's only one company, however it's going to cause some problems at say Horn Is and Parafield ??

 

 

[trevorp]

Moboil Fuel are going to withdraw sale of avegas at Learmonth WA YPLM. Has anyone else heard off fuel closesure.Seems as if shell arnt the only one

 

 

[Powerin]

Sometimes you wonder if it's worth living outside capital cities any more. I don't fly yet so I don't know how buying fuel at airports works. But I know there's not much money in selling fuel and a lot of country petrol stations basically do it as a community service. Country airports might be the same?

 

But with the proposed environmental regime of auditing and monitoring underground fuel tanks for leaks (and the associated costs and paperwork), a lot of country servos won't be able to afford to continue selling fuel. It's going to make it hard to fly anywhere if the country airports don't have fuel and the local servo has closed down!

 

Will Shell still be selling Jet A1 at these airports? Everyone might have to convert to diesels!

 

Peter

 

 

[HEON]

Big fuel tanks (100+L) seem to be the only way to travel.

 

Makes the issue of legal load very important.

 

Any aircraft that cannot carry 250+kg total is rearly not a 2 pax touring machine!

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

BP bailed out of a few last year.

 

 

[Powerin]

Some here seemed to think that the proposed RAAus weight increases would just allow old GA aircraft into RAAus. I think it will be important in the future just to be able to carry more fuel (and strengthen the airframe to be able to carry it).

 

Peter

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

screw them right up and buy a Yuneec. you would probably have the same range and the recharge time would be about the same if you had to wait for the refueller to turn up

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

The Savannah with the 150 ltr long range tanks makes for comfortable, no worry xcountry travelling, and you don't seem to really notice the extra on takeoff. (100hp)

 

 

[wags]

US military phasing out Avgas (100LL).

 

After 2013 the US military will no longer have a need for Avgas... what will that do to world wide supplies? More and more suppliers of Avgas from drums are requiring you to purchase 200 ltrs minimum (a full drum) - too bad if your tanks only hold 130 ltrs or less.

 

The up-and-coming engines are the new diesels. Have a look here... DeltaHawk Diesel Engines

 

Six new owners of the Glastar Sportsman 2+2... Glasair Aviation are fitting the Delta Hawk 200 HP version, resulting in longer range on same volume over Avgas, lower fuel consumption and higher torque. A big plus in all areas.

 

Diesels make sense to me.