Earlier this month, pilots Carol Sugars and Douglas Rodante made history by becoming the first flight-crew to successfully fly across the US in a plane predominantly powered by biodiesel.
Of the total 2,486 miles flown from Reno, Nevada to Leesburg, Florida, 1,776 miles were 100% biodiesel-powered. The remaining 710 miles were powered by a 50/50 mix of biodiesel and standard jet fuel.
The November 1 jet flight lasted a total of 11 hours and 13 minutes at altitudes of between 13,000 and 17,000 feet. Amongst others, it was co-sponsored by eco-friendly aviation company Green Flight International and Pittsburgh company Lake Erie Biofuels.
Speaking about the record-breaking flight, co-pilot Douglas Rodante, also CEO of Green Flight International said, “These flights prove that we have the capability of supplementing our energy requirements with safe, environmentally-friendly alternatives to petroleum. And the Biofuel is produced in the U.S., which essentially negates our dependency on foreign fuel supplies.â€
His confidence is matched by the Federal Aviation Administration, which has expressed an interest in using Green Flight’s flight testing program as a template for its assessment of future generations of biofuels. With giant aviation companies such as Boeing on-board, it seems increasingly likely that biofuels will play a large part in the future of the industry, across both the freight and passenger sectors.
