Biofuels Test Flight Was a Promising Demonstration, Air Force Says
by John Nolan (Dayton Daily News) The Air Force flew an A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft, operating solely on a biomass-derived jet fuel blend Thursday, March 25, in a major step toward the service’s goal of diversifying its sources for aviation fuel.
Officials from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base who are overseeing the biofuels research were on hand at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., for the nearly 90-minute test flight, the first of a series planned. The University of Dayton Research Institute helped develop and test the fuel which was derived in part from camelina….
The airplane performed normally on the 50-50 blend of the camelina-based fuel and conventional JP-8 jet fuel, said Maj. Chris Seager, a test pilot with the 40th Flight Test Squadron based at Eglin.
…The Air Force said the morning flight at Eglin Air Force Base marked the first time that either a military or civilian airplane was flown using a biofuels blend in all engines, rather than just one engine.
