canadian av gas quarantine

[gliderman]

Hi All

if any of our American brothers and sisters are planning to fly into Canada please check on the availability of av gas. somebody screwed up at the refinery and all av gas produced from the Strathcona refinery( near Edmonton) since mid December is now quarantined.

Aviation fuel quarantined nationwide, severe shortage expected
February 15, 2018 Cris Vilela
Aviation gasoline (Avgas) supplies in Canada have been quarantined due to a reported quality control problem with fuels delivered since late December, and several airports have already started to run out, says the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA).

COPA reports that in an interview with FlightFuels spokesman Craig Tanselli, the association was told that the contamination originated with a production problem at an Esso refinery in Edmonton. That refinery produces all the Avgas for the whole country, says COPA. Tanselli stated that his company is checking inventories but, in the interim, no Avgas sales are being permitted. Several airports have already issued NOTAMs (Notices To Airmen) advising they cannot sell Avgas as a result of the quarantine.

The production issue does not affect jet fuel, so large airlines which mostly rely on jets for their service will be unaffected.

The quarantine is likely to spell big trouble for flight schools and smaller regional airlines, however, as the airplanes used by those companies almost exclusively utilize Avgas.


mumble mumble

shane-o

[Steve Pierce]

Wow, not good.

[mmoyle]

Any update? Fabricman will be flying his 160 hp Pacer from Anchorage to Arkansas next month...after I deliver it to Anchorage. If 100 low lead isn’t available....is 91 octane available at the local auto gas stations? Fuel stops at Whitehorse, Fort Nelson, Fort Saint John, Calgary and Lethbridge.


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[gliderman]

Hi Mark

IMHO stay away from Calgary- airspace and landing fees and I heard that the Calgary flying club has shut down flight training due to shortage of fuel
Lethbridge can be VERY windy so be careful going in there. why not clear customs at Del Bonita and then fly to CEM4(Innisfail) we have fuel( i know the pres of the flying club lol)
and I could buy lunch- then it is a flight to fort st john

i'll keep you posted on fuel

rocky mountain house has fuel too

Shane-o

[mmoyle]

Hi Mark

IMHO stay away from Calgary- airspace and landing fees and I heard that the Calgary flying club has shut down flight training due to shortage of fuel
Lethbridge can be VERY windy so be careful going in there. why not clear customs at Del Bonita and then fly to CEM4(Innisfail) we have fuel( i know the pres of the flying club lol)
and I could buy lunch- then it is a flight to fort st john

i'll keep you posted on fuel

rocky mountain house has fuel too

Shane-o

Kool! Thanks


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[fabricman]

Shane - Planning on leaving Anchorage sometime in the 3rd week of March, depending upon weather. My new iPad should show up tomorrow (old one did not have enough space) and I will start my flight planning. Would like to contact you to plan my trip through the areas with which you are familiar. I am buying four fuel bladders to carry with me so that I can get auto fuel if forced to land some place that has no avgas. I will certainly follow your recommendations as to routing through Innisfail. Clearing customs at another location than Lethbridge should not be a problems going south, but going North, I was told that I could only clear customs at a specified Port of Entry (this was August of 2017) which i why we routed through there. Please send me your cell number, and I will contact you through Viber. My need other tips for a smooth path through the customs procedures.

[Jim Hann]

CEM4 is a nice little airport and Shane is a great host!


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[Curly]

We had a similar problem here a few years ago. Not a lack of supply but a contaminate that was in the fuel. Had some junk in it that clogged the carby and any piston engine that used it was grounded until the complete fuel system was flushed and cleaned. Carby had to be removed and rebuilt. Cost an absolute fortune in lost hours as well as the cost of the work needed. From memory I think the fuel company had the cover the costs.

[gliderman]

Fabricman
looking forward to meeting you
Del Bonita is a point of entry into Canada and the US. it straddles the border with both US and Canadian customs. Steve P used it a few years ago when he flew to Alaska
https://www.cbp.gov/contact/ports/del-bonita-mt

phone is 403-896-4809(C) 403-346-0543 (H)
call anytime

shane-o

[gliderman]

A little more om the problem:

The issue has surfaced to be the 'conductivity spec' is out of tolerance. The fuel is NOT contaminated. So far the only thing they are identifying as a risk is in an airplane that is equipped with a capacitance type fuel quantity sensor. The indicator may not show accurate quantity.
(Does anyone have a fuel quantity indicator that is accurate?) Most people do not fly relying on quantity gages. But I understand some new homebuilt/experimental aircraft may have capacitance type sensors. But most production aircraft of the big three plus ones like American Champion (Bellanca), Maule and more still use the float/variable resistance type sensors

Shane-o