Aviation causes pollution. It's a fact of life. However, so does every other form of transportation and industry out there right now. We accept a little pollution as long as the utility we gain from it is significant...as is the case with aviation. However, the world is realizing that we can't continue producing as much overall pollution as we do. Though it may have seemed like more of a fad in the past, some governments are starting to tighten down on it. Aviation is currently exempt from many regulations (like the ban on leaded fuels) simply because we don't have any alternatives yet. How long will that last for us though?

The Washington Post had a recent article about an ABC advertising campaign using skywriters. It sounds like a great way to advertise their show and hearing about it makes me want to check out the program they are advertising. The campaign seems to be back-firing for ABC a bit though because people noticed how a recent declaration of environmentalism by ABC doesn't fit with using leaded aircraft fuel to advertise.

I think this is just a small incident. It won't have any lasting effects and the focus is on demonizing ABC rather than demonizing aviation. However, as more environmentalism catches on, aviation is going to start getting more scrutiny.

There are several companies trying to develop alternatives to the 100 LL fuel that sustains piston aircraft right now. Eventually, one or more of them will catch on and replace it. However, I think we can do better than that. Piston engine design hasn't significantly changed in decades. We need to look at other (already existing) technologies and see how we can apply them to aviation.

A Chinese company called Yuneec unveiled an electric LSA at Airventure this year. They appear to have a product that is already viable for training and sport flying markets. They are exploring options for solar panels on the wings or even hydrogen fuel cells to allow extended range and/or quick re-charging.

The European SkySpark has been setting some impressive performance benchmarks for electric aircraft. If they keep up the way they're going, the rest of the industry is going start too far behind the electric aviation power curve to ever catch up. These are both great starts of new technology in general aviation.

The airlines have already given in. The IATA recently held a meeting and published a manifesto stating their intention to significantly reduce their carbon emissions.

General aviation isn't under as much scrutiny as the airlines yet, but little skirmishes like the ones involving ABC's giant smoke V's are going to keep happening. We can't hold changes off forever. I hope we can get technology where it needs to be so that we can lead the push toward greener GA rather than getting drug into it unwillingly.

Photo Courtesy of Nogwater