Good morning Good Morning, and welcome to Pprune.
Welcome to the world of Rotax too, please come in to Strathaven and visit us.
Unleaded fuel - in paticular in Rotax engines, but also in others such as some light aircraft - is permitted by the UK Civil Aviation Authority under certain conditions.
These include testing for ethanol and not flying at high altitudes, for instance. The operator also has to enter in the logbook the source of the fuel, so that if anything goes wrong the fuel source can be traced. (To my knowledge, this has never been necessary)
Pilots are also responsible for a lot of other things which help create aviation safety, so the CAA's decision to give them responsibility over fuel approval is nothing new.
The same applies to engines in Permit to Fly aircraft. My Rotax 912 - which is the UL version of the certified 912! - says it is not designed for aviation use!! As for the two-strokes!!! Again, back to pilot responsibility.
It is, actually, a criminal offense to fly unsafely (see the ANO).
ABC's arguement that they would be acessories to a crime if they were to allow the supply of Mogas is a little extreme.
First, it is not a crime! The CAA permit it.
Second, it is not part of ABC's "duty of care". Or does ABC want to test visiting aircraft for Mogas, then see GPS readouts showing what height they flew at en route to Connel, check pilot's medicals, validity of licences and ratings (that would be a laugh in NPPL/micro land since the CAA don't even seem to know!) etc etc.
Don't need to check mine.
ABC are either a**holes for implementing this off their own bat, or ABC are a**holes for drawing up a fuel supply contract with a 3rd party that allows the 3rd party to force them to do this.
And I can't be a**sed with a**holes! So you won't see me at Connel.