Hey,

I have a question about AvGas. First of all, for a typical 152 or 172, how many miles per gallon do you get? Or, in other words, how long does it take to burn through a tank of fuel?

And my second question is, how much is a gallon of AvGas?

Just wondering, hope this isn't a dumb question.

Ben

Here's a list of prices in the US. http://www.aviationresearch.com/Free/fuel_survey.asp

Not sure what octane rating they use now. It's probably all the same except for high-octane used in warbirds & suchlike. I could be wrong but I think some light aircraft are allowed to use ordinary motor grade fuel but that would probably work out more expensive.

I use 8 gph in the 172 I fly, not too accurate, but it works.  The airplane I fly holds 54 gallons of fuel, only 50 of which is usable and that gives me just about 6 hours of flight with the 30 min reserves required by the FAA for day VFR flight.  I just went flying last saturday and fuel was $3.20 a gallon also .    Ouch.

Though the standard I was always taught in small planes was top the tanks off anyways since that was condensation couldn't form in the tanks.

Topping off prevents condensation...it also make the plane safer.

Avgas is like gasoline, it is more explosive when in vapour form...no vapour, less chance of explosions.

Ya, last flight. Sorry mind is elsewhere lately.

Sure it is a little annoying in the morning if you are the first guy who gets the fully fueled plane (talk about lack of performance in some planes), but it's definetly worth it.

Sounds good to me Ben. Go for it.

Such a frikkin' deal!! Wish I'd done that at your age!! Go for it!!!
And when it's time for your solo cross-countries, do some research first to find airports with the best fuel prices... . Seriously.
I haven't flown in a couple years, but I've heard that (as others have said here) that it's generally nudging the $3/gal. mark in the US now, but like auto gas, it varies somewhat from place to place. Look around, make a list.
Don't forget landing and parking fees, either- ask if they cover that or not. Some fancy-dancy FBOs will actually charge you to have a line boy wave you in to park, even if you're just getting some fuel and hitting the head. Sometimes said FBOs are the only one available at a given airport. This sort of information will influence your flight planning, if you're serious about saving money. There's also headset, fuel sampler, navigation tools, manuals, textbooks,emergency stuff, Sic-Sacs- will you have to pay for all that stuff, too? All of that stuff can be found pretty cheaply, but it's an expense worth factoring in if your money's tight.
Whatever the case, not having to cover the aircraft rental or instructors' time is a HUGE discount! Very good way to get your PPSEL! And an awesome way to serve your community!