Silvaire,
I do hope you are right. In pre-2001 times I used to be in the US a lot, since, I did not return. The change I have seen and the deeply divided nation I can see today has really shook up my belief in the America I used to know and admire for it's unique will of freedom. Today, I avoid talking about politics with my American friends, as the rift I see is very significant, bordering in hate. That has quite unsettled my perception of the US.
For us Europeans, the US has always been the paradise for General Aviation flying. GA here has been under fierce attack by environmentalist groups, anti noise groups and the political Left. Ever since the sovereignity of the countries has been abandoned with the introduction of first JAR and now EASA, things have been steadily going down hill.
$5 a gallon Avgas is something I never experienced over here, right now the going rates are between $12 and $15 per USG, unleaded car fuel is between $ 6 and $8. I know that when I quote these figures to my American friends they usually are totally shocked. Reason for these exorbitant prices btw are mainly the horriffic taxes imposed on these fuels.
Avgas has the problem that it is a gasoline which in the scope of other fuels like automotive fuel, heating oil or jet fuel has an almost negligable quantity. That is why I don't believe in "specific" Piston Aviation Fuels anymore. I understood from someone working at a refinery that Avgas refining is something they would love to abandon as it "did not make money" for them in comparison to the rest.
So what I think is that there are 2 fuel variants which have to be used for GA in the future. Jet A1 is the foremost, the other may be absolutely normal automotive fuel as it is available at every gas station and at the same price as the automotive gas. Anything else is economically and logistically an illusion. Especcially if one hears the "experts" on the direction they expect the oil price to go in the next years. I have heard figures up to $400-500 a barrel within the next 5 years, so that would mean fuel economy will have a completely different meaning. Knowing that the taxes on fuel are often enough percentages, this could mean prices at the pump of $50-60 per USG automotive fuel in Europe with $100 per gallon of specified aviation fuels.
That would be when things stop happening. Jet Fuel however could never reach such abusive heights as it would kill the airline industry totally.