3 ms·

Is the use of leaded gas just because most small planes are old? Do new planes still require leaded gas? It seems absurd that avaiation gas is still leaded when

• imoverclocked 5y ago
  It's the last hold-out of leaded gasoline in the US that I'm aware of and the landscape is complex to say the least. Some aircraft engines still require 100LL to perform within spec but most modern engine designs can also accept high octane "mogas" or motor-vehicle gas. mogas is also often not available inside an airport so getting it requires a vehicle and gas-cans. Fun fact: most small GA aircraft still use the exact same engine technology that they were developed with despite needing to occasionally replace the engine. Automobile engines have seen a lot of advances in the last 60 years but any given Cessna 172 you see in the sky is likely still working in exactly the same way as in the 1960's.