Pilot's Cove Cafe at Sanford Regional(SFM)

[rcpilot]

So my friend's flying club had another meetup in Maine, this time at SFM. If nothing else I'm getting plenty of time in as this trip was 4.8 on the hobbs. The restaurant, Pilot's Cove Cafe, has plenty of outdoor seating and it was a beautiful day. Food and service were good. They have mogas at the field but it's only 91 octane not good for my Rotax, not to mention it was only about .20 cheaper than avgas.


https://www.pilotscovecafe.com

[Sling 2 Pilot]

What’s the issue you have with 91 octane MOGAS? It’s approved by ROTAX, its most probably non ethanol, so what’s the problem?

I use 91 non ethanol unleaded, sourced from Stewarts, here in NYS. Been using it for well over 2 years without an issue, this past season exclusively. Just finished up my annual/condition inspection and my A&P was surprised at not having to see lead deposits on plugs or in the tank. So again, what’s your problem, real or perceived with 91 octane?

[ShawnM]

Not good for your Rotax? Say what? AVGAS is NOT good for your Rotax. What is your issue with 91 OCT MOGAS?

Have a look at the latest service bulletin, SI-912-016 R11 and you can see that that fuel is approved by Rotax. 91 octane is the minimum octane fuel for the 912ULS engine. See page 10 of the SB. About 3/4 down the page you can see the "US Standard" with a minimum AKI of 91. AKI (anti knock index) is the same as our (R+M)/2 octane rating that you see on pumps here in the US. Here's a link to the SB for your reading pleasure:

https://legacy.rotaxowner.com/si_tb_inf ... 19-r11.pdf

I also run 91 and/or 93 ethanol free fuel exclusively in my SportCruiser and have never had ANY issues with my engine, not even a hiccup, ever. I have not used AVGAS in nearly 8 years of ownership and my engine thanks me for it everyday.

[drseti]

Shawn's information and document reference are correct. However,

<pedantic mode>
That's a Service Instruction, not a Service Bulletin (there's a diffefence)
</pedantic mode>

[ShawnM]

Correct, that's my bad. I knew it was a "service instruction" hence the "SI" at the beginning. I'm just so used to talking about service bulletins that's what I typed, Sorry for the confusion. Damn forum wont let me edit my post after posting for just one second.

[fatsportpilot]

You can run with a lower octane rating but you'll need to be careful of engine temps to prevent detonation. 89 works in a pinch. I wouldn't use 87 for anything with higher compression than a 912 UL though.

[rcpilot]

Not good for your Rotax? Say what? AVGAS is NOT good for your Rotax. What is your issue with 91 OCT MOGAS?

Have a look at the latest service bulletin, SI-912-016 R11 and you can see that that fuel is approved by Rotax. 91 octane is the minimum octane fuel for the 912ULS engine. See page 10 of the SB. About 3/4 down the page you can see the "US Standard" with a minimum AKI of 91. AKI (anti knock index) is the same as our (R+M)/2 octane rating that you see on pumps here in the US. Here's a link to the SB for your reading pleasure:

https://legacy.rotaxowner.com/si_tb_inf ... 19-r11.pdf

I also run 91 and/or 93 ethanol free fuel exclusively in my SportCruiser and have never had ANY issues with my engine, not even a hiccup, ever. I have not used AVGAS in nearly 8 years of ownership and my engine thanks me for it everyday.

OK, I admit that I did not look in the manual for what kind of fuel is acceptable. I just went by what was labeled on the fuel inlet. My instructor never pointed out anything either. Guess I'm bad.

[Warmi]

My plane is from 2012 and it came with the 91 oct placard from the factory - I though it was universally accepted fact …

[rcpilot]

My Zenith 601 is an E-AB. It was built in 2004 and either the builder only wanted to use 93 or that's what Rotax was recommending back then and hence why it was labeled accordingly.