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by slapshot 996 days ago
No jets use or have ever used leaded products. Jets run on Jet-A, which is a close relative of kerosene. It has never been leaded. The purpose of lead was to prevent cylinders from prematurely detonating ("knocking") in internal combustion engines. Jets do not have any cylinders to knock; the fuel burns continually in an open combustion chamber.

You may have been thinking of 100LL (100 Low Lead) fuel for piston engined planes. Many airports stopped selling 100LL in January of 2022. The FAA has approved a lead-free replacement in fuels like UL94 that are steadily replacing 100LL.

3 comments

At last! I live in France and it is still 100LL everywhere, except for ultralights which mostly use automotive gas (mogas) or sometimes UL91.

But do they actually sell it everywhere? My experience with aviation is that change happens incredibly slowly. The simple fact that they still use that abomination that is 100LL is telling. Poisoning thousands of people for decades just because of paperwork essentially. As an amateur pilot, I understand the idea of using only tried and tested solutions, you really want things to be reliable up there, but our representatives can at least make the necessary efforts to make our already environmentally questionable hobby not needlessly poison people.

> Many airports stopped selling 100LL in January of 2022.

Really? That is news to me. Googling reveals that two airports did that, both in the same county: Reid-Hillview Airport (KRHV) and San Martin Airport (E16).

Bay Area bias, sorry. Many airports near me did. I have no knowledge about Oklahoma.
> Many airports near me did.

Could you list a few of the many? I looked around Bay Area airports, and found most of them selling 100LL:

  KSFO - San Francisco International Airport - $9.90         
  KHAF - Half Moon Bay Airport - $6.42                       
  KOAK - Metro Oakland International Airport - $8.21/$8.64   
  KHWD - Hayward Executive Airport - $7.99/$7.55             
  KPAO - Palo Alto Airport - $6.35/$6.95/$6.59               
  CA35 - San Rafael Airport - $6.84                             
  KSJC - Norman Y Mineta San Jose International Airport - $10.07/$8.95  
  KLVK - Livermore Municipal Airport - $6.54/$7.54                
  KCCR - Buchanan Field Airport - $7.15/$6.98                   
  KDVO - Gnoss Field Airport - $7.67/$7.87                         
  KAPC - Napa County Airport - $9.20                                
   0Q3 - Sonoma Valley Airport - $8.00                              
   C83 - Byron Airport - $6.35                                  
   0Q9 - Sonoma Skypark Airport - $6.30                  
   O69 - Petaluma Municipal Airport - $6.95
> Many airports stopped selling 100LL in January of 2022.

Judging by the size of the GA fleet, and by the fact that a sizeable portion of that fleet is not certified to fly with UL94, allow me to doubt the seriousness of that news..