What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

First Swift Fuel in Texas

Peterk

Well Known Member
Filled up my RV12 with Swift Avgas 94UL at Dublin, Texas this morning (9F0)...just south of Stephenville.

Finding "on airport" fuel for the RV12 that is not leaded, has always been difficult, especially in the DFW area. The Rotax 912 requires minimum 91 Octane so we are forced to use leaded at airports (no lead scavenger in the 912 so leaded gas requires frequent oil changes) or haul our own from the local gas station along with everyone's favorite Ethanol, popular for eating rubber hose lines.

Now the Dublin Airport is selling Swift Avgas 94UL for $3.71/gallon ON AIRPORT! Before the end of the year they expect to sell 104UL to compete with 100LL. Obviously this is huge for those of us that need unleaded avgas...without ethanol...at an airport. Brad Stanford is the airport manager and the driving force behind convincing the city to support this project. He is there most days by 8am. Feel free to give him a call at 254-445-3331.

Swift Fuel is headquartered in Ft Wayne, Indiana and sent down one of the staff (see the pic below) to pump fuel and answer questions today. If you need 94UL without ethanol, on an airport....here's your chance.

Pete Anderson
N903RV Pecan Plantation, TX


https://peteranderson.smugmug.com/Swift-Fuel/i-s8SGLv6/A
 
The only way it's gonna' happen . . . is if we keep asking for it.
I am trying to get it at X39 (Tampa North).
It has been like pulling teeth.
Worse than the Trump Resistance.:D
 
I think I'll run down there and get a tank full and see if I can tell any difference, I'd like to start running no lead fuels.
Anybody see a problem with this on a O-360/180hp with electronic ignition?(Pmag and electroair)
 
I'd be curious to see if the absence of the lead would slightly raise the CHT since the lead to some degree is a lubricant. In my 11:1 comp Corvette I'll occasionally pour in ( by accident) a 5 gal. Jug of 100LL and it will run 15-20 degrees colder than without, and the effect will last for 3 or 4 subsequent fill ups with 93 E10 auto fuel +104 octane boost. I would assume the Lycoming would behave similarly ( old lose large tolerance designs )
 
I also stopped at Dublin early afternoon, and topped off with Swift Fuel. Finially, no lead and no ethanol. Could not tell any difference flying back (O-360, 8.5:1, carb and dual mags). EGT and CHT were as normal.

I?ll make it a point to stop and top off whenever I?m anywhere near Dublin.
 
Stupid question

In retrospect my question was stupid. What I meant to ask was does it have its own color dye. If you?re running Swift exclusively, without dye it?s hard to notice seaping fuel leaks.
 
In retrospect my question was stupid. What I meant to ask was does it have its own color dye. If you’re running Swift exclusively, without dye it’s hard to notice seaping fuel leaks.

Now that IS a very good question. It should have it's own color.

I have inquired to Swift Fuels. We'll see what they say.
 
Last edited:
No color, little smell

We have Swift Fuel nearby and it is great. Even Alex uses it, and he hates everything new! ;)

No color. very little smell. I have an 8.5:1 O-320, with P-mags and it works well ROP or LOP. @ $3.25/gal it rivals mogas.

It is a nice 50-ish mile flight at bucolic KUBE over in the Badger state. Cop car available for lunch. Airport manager is a great guy, and you will be greeted by Riley the Lab when you land.

We really like it up here near Minne!

Now that IS a very good question. It should have it's own color.

I have inquired to Swift Fuels. We'll see what they say.
 
Foreflight

Foreflight says no fuel and no FBO at Dublin Municipal.

Maybe Brad should try to get that updated.
 
We have Swift Fuel nearby and it is great. Even Alex uses it, and he hates everything new! ;)

SNIP

Uh, Pete, let's just say my panel is a bit newer than yours...and I don't hate it!

Re the Swift fuel, we've got a great thing going. Nice 20 minute flight over, $3.25/gallon, clean engines, what's not to like!? I've noticed utterly nothing different in performance, temps, compared to 100LL. I guess leak detection is a disadvantage without the blue dye, as the one negative I can think of.
 
Cool to see the 104 maybe coming by year end. When I talked to Swift about a year ago, they didn't think the 104 would be retailing before 2020.

Here's hoping availability of both fuel spreads quickly and kudos to Swift for actually making this happen. I think the testing process has been long and a bit painful for them.

I'd love to have 104 here at our airport, be able to stop hauling mogas and turn up the boost again.
 
Last edited:
Fuel Color

I just received this email from Jon Ziulkowski, VP commercial operations at Swift when I inquired about fuel color.

"The dye in aviation gasoline is regulated by the US Department of Commerce. It is to indicate the presence of tetraethyl lead (TEL). As our fuels are unleaded there is no dye presently required.

However given that we are also aviators and aircraft owners ourselves, we've come to realize the additional benefits that Pilots have by having dyed fuel. Swift Fuels is currently co-leading a task force at ASTM International which will stipulate dye colors for unleaded Aviation gasolines.

So at the moment, there is no dye requirement but I would not expect that to stay that way for long."


Swift UL94 is selling well here at 5B6 at about $.50 less than 100LL.

Hope this helps,

Mitch Garner
Falmouth Airpark
 
Sounds good! There will be cases when the wing tanks are filled with a mix of avgas and Swift fuel...I wonder how capacitance senders will differ between fuels. The transition to Swift fuels could mean that capacitance senders are rendered useless...not that I rely on them for more than detecting potential fuel leaks.
 
Dublin Airport

Hey, everyone! I'm the volunteer airport manager for 9f0.

I wanted to pop into this thread and be available to answer any questions you might have about Swift, Dublin, the airport itself, or me.

1. ForeFlight - it has been like pulling teeth to get any answers from ForeFlight about how to update our status. Does anyone have any suggestions?

2. The response to having Swift here has been fantastic! I know the weather has been an issue lately, especially for the LSAs, so the traffic hasn't been what it could be. We're in the mode of getting the word out so that people will come down here and prove to the city and other airports that pilots want this fuel to stay in Texas. Other airports are watching us closely to see if the demand is truly there. They won't buy Swift for their own airport unless there is a business case for it, so please spread the word and buy the fuel!

3. We're essentially starting from almost scratch as an airport. I'm marketing us as an LSA/Sport/Recreation airport, and the response I get to that tells me I made the right choice.

4. The good news for you guys is whoever makes it out to me first gets to influence direction. I have plans and a direction, but the details are up to what pilots want and need. If you want to have a say in what a modern recreational airport should be, please come talk to me. I'm all ears. Or beard. Either one.

5. Check out the activity on Facebook (I know, I know), to see what we've been up to. That will get you up to speed on the changes we've been making. https://www.facebook.com/dublin9f0/ Also for reference is the city webpage for the airport: https://www.ci.dublin.tx.us/dublin-airport

6. Did I mention Swift Fuel? :) Just a reminder to come purchase it. Currently $4.10/gal, and that includes tax. It's currently an iPad sales system, so it requires my presence. I'm usually at the office Wednesday 8-5, and Thursday-Saturday 8-6. If you need me outside of those hours, leave me a message at (254) 445-4404 at least 24 hours in advance, and we'll make sure to get you the service you need.

I'm out of the office through Thursday of next week for the TxDOT Airport manager's conference in Galveston, but it will be raining here then anyway. Friday the 30th and Saturday the 31st will be great days to come visit me.

Hope to hear from you and/or see you soon!
 
Back
Top