Availability of Mogas at Canadian airports
Many engines, such as the Rotax series as well as many older aircraft power plants prefer fuels with far less lead in them than the so-called 100 LL.
If you ever saw the oil drained from a Rotax’s sump after 50 hours of running with 100 LL you would be astounded as the cascade of thick “silvery” mud drains into the recycling bucket.
This same sludge can stick valve stems, plug valve seats, restrict oil lubrication lines and generally wreck havoc in engines – especially if you don’t run them correctly (But that’s another topic worthy of a column).
As a result of the potential damage high lead fuels can create in many engines (not to mention the atmosphere), I have determined to use car gas at every opportunity and will be patronizing the airports that provide this superior fuel.
In my opinion it is not only much cheaper than high lead aviation fuel, but it burns much cleaner and therefore pollutes less and is a much more refined product.
Of course, like any complex topic, there are other considerations pilots must consider such as potential vapour lock, fuel additives that can be harmful to some components and octane ratings (yet another worthy article – and one I wrote many years ago and a chapter in my book).
Suffice to say, commonly available car gas (Mogas) is readily available in virtually every town for local users. Getting some on a cross country flight is another matter.
Aviators with lots of time can land at small airports beside towns and using a five gallon can (or a 22.7 litre container) they can haul fuel from the local gas station to replenish there aircraft fuel cells.
However, there are hassles and complications associated with this as well. Be sure you never take off with the vents closed on an empty fuel cell as an explosive surprise awaits you when you climb to altitude and the expanding tank provides a shrapnel surprise when it can no longer “contain” itself.
Linda and I just flew from our home in Victoria, B.C. to the Diamond factory in London Ontario, using Mogas when we could and the high lead stuff otherwise.
Caught up on my work, I decided to read the VFR Canadian Flight Supplement (CFS) from cover to cover as the data sometimes figures prominently in expert witness work. (It can also be useful for flight planning…).
My primary motivation was to document the Canadian airports that offered the various versions/octanes of Mogas (i.e. Mogas, MG-1, MG-2, MG-3 and MG-4 in increasing octanes).
Since it seemed like a worthwhile service for COPA members and others who sponge information from these pages, I have produced the results of my studying below in a chart.
READERS BEWARE
But first, a caveat. I am not responsible for any errors and strongly advise pilots to carry an up to date version of the VFR Canadian Flight Supplement. Moreover, don’t trust it!
I found obvious errors within the CFS and suggest a pilot should not anticipate the detailed availability of a given fuel at any planned stop without first phoning the operator of the facility to insure his availability and that of the fuel.
With today’s long distance phone rates being so low, dialling up this important piece of flight planning can be rewarding at very little cost – compared to landing somewhere and finding no suitable fuel is available.
I have intentionally not listed the latitude/longitude of these locations nor the comments or contact data from my current CFS because I do not want pilots to use information that could be out-of-date and in error by the time they see this list.
Moreover, to further support my suggestion to phone the airport fuel operator, I believe from what I have seen that the data within the CFS has often not been updated by those responsible for providing the information – such as the fuel handlers/airport operators.
It’s a stiff price to pay for a tome that is full of errors. Nonetheless, the CFS is replete with extremely useful information and like current maps and up to date GPS databases, are most useful on lengthy trips.
Be sure to read the comments for a given airport for important information relating to the fuel availability; such as, Prior Notice Required (PNR), Call Out Charges may apply or Limited Quantities.
A FEW OBSERVATIONS
Ontario and Alberta have captured the fuel market. Ontario because of the population/market density and Alberta because they suck the stuff out of the ground.
I found both provinces have the bulk of the airports that offer Mogas.
Some of the following airports have additional fuels such as 100 LL although I do not list the high lead fuels in this chart – check the CFS for details.
If you find airports on this list that do not carry the fuels listed please report them using the update contact data in the CFS. Also, if you are aware of an airport carrying Mogas that is not on this list, please provide an update for the CFS.
Additionally, feel free to contact the author by email at aviator-horizon@telus.net with any update information and for that matter put a c.c. to COPA for their Pilots to Pilots letters, so we can further help our membership.
Also, please support/patronize that fueler who take the time and trouble to install Mogas tanks. Happy landings.
CANADIAN AIRPORTS WITH MOGAS
FUEL TYPE(S) LOCATION NAME AIRPORT IDENTIFIER
MG-1 ABBOTSFORD BC CYXX
MG-1 ATWOOD ON CAT1
MG-4 BROCKVILLE ON CNL3
MG-3 CHESTERMIRE/KIRKBY AL CFX8
MG-4 GLADSTONE MB CJRT
MG-1 INDUS/WINTERS AL CFY4
MG-1 KEENE/ELMHIRST RESORT ON CPS2
MOGAS L’ASSOMPTION QC CLA2
MG-1 NIPAWIN SK CYBU
MG-1 PEMBROKE ON CYTA
MG-2 PONOKA AL CEH3
MG-2 &nb