On 12/6/2025 11:08 AM, Steve Loebs via KRnet wrote:
Larry mentioned that many KR owners only fly about 50 hours a year. If
one flies a lot, say 200 hours a year, then the math shows that the
savings in fuel expense by saving $2-3 per gallon running E10-87 is so
significant that a 100LL engine would need to be virtually free to
breakeven!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
That's true but the more you fly, 50 vs. 200 hours a year, the greater
the chance of running in to bad fuel also. Many years ago, when I could
trust the fuel, I burned nothing but auto fuel in both the Tripacer and
the KR and both engines ran much cleaner of deposits. Once I could no
longer trust the fuel a savings of *any amount* was no longer an
option. At that point I simply tried to purchase the least costly 100LL
I could find. Fortunately, working part time at the airport after I
retired, I got "free" 100LL from the waste barrel, double filtered it
for water and contaminants, and spent many hours working on the KR
grin. The odds are slim but you might check with your local FBO to see
what they do with the test samples of 100LL each day from the fuel farm
and the truck. They can't sell it without expensive filtering so it
goes in to a was container of some type. They may filter it for use in
airport vehicles or some such and may even be reluctant to let you have
it for any reason (liability). In my case it kept the FBO from having
to deal with getting rid of the waste and it was "first come, first
served" for any of us airport bums. I think they assumed we were
running it in our mowers / backup generators/ weed whackers / etc. Many
times I opened the spicket and not a single drop came out. Some other
airport bum had beat me to the basket with the golden eggs.
Cruising at altitude is not a time to be wondering if your fuel tank is
slowly dissolving on the inside. Those concerns are best dealt with on
the ground while contemplating where to purchase your next tank of gas.
Happy flying.........
Larry Flesner
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