<... wonder if a field in the Houston area could be convinced ...>
I doubt it.  Several FBOs told me there were insurance issues (others said they had none).  I would not dream of selling Mogas anywhere under a veil (can't support that - just intuition).  The folks I talked to said nearly all of their Mogas clientele was local, most of that homebuilt.  One said he got it mostly to use in his flight school ($8 - $10 per hour savings) and sold it to others who wanted it.  Shelf life seems to be a legitimate problem, so don't use it if you ain't gonna' use it.  A lot is pure superstition - about the perils of Mogas as well as the virtues of Avgas.  Perhaps if enough interested parties took it upon themselves to do some research and put together a presentation, we could give a spiel at all the surrounding EAA chapters and local airport flying clubs and generate some interest.  I'm already doing that - going anywhere within 50-100 mi radius and "preaching the gospel".  Haven't been doing it long enough to evaluate results, but it does stir up some discussion.

I aim to get a 100-gal or so tank on a utility trailer and use it for my plane(s) and loan it out to some of the locals who want to.  If I outgrow the trailer really dramatically, I'll buy an old fuel truck and just park it and fire it up when I need to dispense gas.

Sure 'nuff disappointing ... Jim S.


David Staten wrote:

Jim... I take very little pleasure in finding myself "right" in this discussion. I think that much of the issue is that places with major avgas contracts and who sell branded AvGas are prohibited by that contract from providing mo-gas. I'm only repeating what I've heard, not what I know for a fact. I wonder if a field in the Houston area could be convinced to somehow offer it, that the fuel would be worthwhile to market... and get enough volume to make it at LEAST a break-even affair.
 
Dave

Jim Sower wrote:

And now, ... the REST of the story ...
As I said, I got 19 hits searching for Mogas fields within 200 nm from Nashville.
5 - I couldn't get hold of (3 might have had an area code change)
4 of the remaining 14 no longer sell Mogas (usually stopped within the past year).  All of those cited low volume (like low 100's per month), short shelf life and poor cold wx performance as reasons.
8 (and a short grass strip) still sell Mogas.  Highest one moves 3000 gal / year.  Most don't do more than about 100 gal / mo.  Many complained about shelf life and cold wx performance.  Price when delivered in short loads for tank wagon wasn't all that less expensive than Avgas ($0.50).  One guy had lots of local interest but no transient clientele except during OSH week.

Looks like if you mean to use Mogas, you're going to get stuff with a poor shelf life that's been in that 300-gal storage tank for quite a while. 

Not a happy situation.  Nothing at all like I expected ... Jim S.