The International Cessna^® 170 Association

Do some of you fellows wonder why we're still using magnetos on our airplane engines, just like back in World War One in 1918? I guess it's part of the same reason we're using $25 to $40 spark plugs.
How many of you send your Magnetos in for a 500 hour inspection and repair? For those of you that don't do your own work, how much does it cost to have them removed, shipped to an authorized repair facility, returned and re installed, timed and signed off?
When was the last time you had to do anything like that on your car? When was the last time your car had an ignition failure?
Why isn't the FAA actively promoting a gasoline fuel without lead and alcohol to bring prices and maintenance costs down. The vast majority of personal general aviation airplane engines have no need at all for a high octane fuel. The engines are not that much more advanced than the military primary trainers of WWII which used 74 octane fuel.
It seems almost ridiculous that the FAA, with their antiquated rules and ideas, is supposed to be helping and fostering aviation.
The FAA and it's rules and regulations has all but stopped student pilot training due to the expense.

blueldr wrote:Do some of you fellows wonder why we're still using magnetos on our airplane engines, just like back in World War One in 1918? I guess it's part of the same reason we're using $25 to $40 spark plugs.
How many of you send your Magnetos in for a 500 hour inspection and repair? For those of you that don't do your own work, how much does it cost to have them removed, shipped to an authorized repair facility, returned and re installed, timed and signed off?
When was the last time you had to do anything like that on your car? When was the last time your car had an ignition failure?
Why isn't the FAA actively promoting a gasoline fuel without lead and alcohol to bring prices and maintenance costs down. The vast majority of personal general aviation airplane engines have no need at all for a high octane fuel. The engines are not that much more advanced than the military primary trainers of WWII which used 74 octane fuel.
It seems almost ridiculous that the FAA, with their antiquated rules and ideas, is supposed to be helping and fostering aviation.
The FAA and it's rules and regulations has all but stopped student pilot training due to the expense.

Dick your preaching to the choir! Can I get an AMEN!

AMEN!

How would FAA promote a fuel that doesn't yet exist?
In the much-touted "free enterprise" system, why don't mfr's produce such improvements? (Ans: No one will buy them for cheap old airplanes, and the folks who complain won't put up $300K for a new airplane design.)
All it takes is a market...and it will happen.
No market....no happen.

I"m not paying $5,000 for a different ignition system for my 60 year old airplane.

What I can't figure out is why the avgas retailers won't offer avgas without lead. Why don't they let the end users select "no lead" at the pump? I don't need it, but want the rest of the product.
Let the C421 drivers select "leaded" for their firebreathers.