Unleaded Aviation Fuel: Assessing Stakeholder Perceptions and Preparing an Organization for Change

Since the Clean Air Act of 1996 banned the use of leaded fuel for automotive applications, leaded aviation gasoline (AVGAS) has become one of the leading sources of lead pollution in the nation due to the volume of AVGAS consumed in general aviation applications (GAMA, 2019). The Federal Aviation Administration has recently recognized this concern with the establishment of the Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions (EAGLE) initiative, which was formally established in February 2022 to foster an important campaign to research and inform the general aviation community on the process for transitioning to unleaded AVGAS. This essay seeks to inform the general aviation community about a multistep effort in the adoption of unleaded aviation fuels at a collegiate aviation institution in the Midwest. The first step was to assess stakeholder perceptions of the change of unleaded aviation fuel, including awareness, importance of change, environmental impact, and operational risk. The second step included establishing sufficient data collection, analysis, training, and risk reduction strategies to support a transition to unleaded AVGAS. The final step of the transition included the evaluation of operational data postimplementation, which is anticipated to be addressed in a subsequent publication. Survey data and organizational preparation are outlined in this essay.