Inside the Race to 100 Octane Unleaded AvGas : Chris D'Acosta of Swift Fuels:
About this episode
Chris D'Acosta discusses the challenges and progress in developing a 100-octane unleaded avgas for piston aircraft.
For over a decade, general aviation has been chasing one elusive goal: a true 100-octane unleaded avgas that works across the entire piston fleet. Swift Fuels CEO Chris D'Acosta has been at the center of that effort since 2012, and in this episode, he lays out exactly where the industry stands, why the process has been so slow, and what's still ahead. If you fly a piston aircraft, this conversation matters to you. D'Acosta breaks down: ✅ which portion of the fleet is already covered by Swift's STCs ✅ what's holding up the high-performance engines ✅ the real story behind the university valve-seat recession controversy ✅ whether the industry will hit the FAA's 2030 deadline for eliminating leaded avgas. ⏱️CHAPTERS 0:00 – Introduction: Chris D'Acosta's Journey from Oil & Gas to Swift Fuels CEO 8:00 – Why Major Oil Companies Walked Away from the Unleaded AvGas Race 12:44 – Swift's STC Numbers: 1,200 Engines, 1,600 Airframes, 55% of the Fleet Covered 15:28 – Inside the FAA's Seven Test Engines and Swift's High-Performance Fleet Partners 21:10 – STC vs. ASTM vs. PAFI: Untangling the Certification Alphabet Soup 30:50 – Why Swift Chose the STC Path Over PAFI (Liability & Control)…
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