Air Force officials take step toward cleaner fuel, energy independence

An A-10C Thunderbolt II from Eglin AFB, Florida, flies along the coast of Florida March 25, 2010, during the first flight of an aircraft powered solely by a biomass-derived jet fuel blend. The A-10 was fueled with a 50/50 blend of Hydrotreated Renewable Jet and JP-8. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Master Sgt. Joy Josephson) Hi-res

Note: The aircraft is A-10C 81-0989 (tailcode ET) from the 40th Flight Test Squadron (white fin-flashes with dark-red diamonds)

by Samuel King Jr.
Team Eglin Public Affairs

3/26/2010 - EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Air Force officials, embracing the national priorities of cleaner fuel and energy independence, took a step toward a greener, energy independent future when an A-10C Thunderbolt II here took to the air March 25 fueled with a blend of Hydrotreated Renewable Jet, or HRJ, and JP-8.

This first-ever feasibility flight demonstration was using HRJ, a hydrocarbon synthetic jet fuel, created from animal fats and plant oils. The flight was conducted by members of the 40th Flight Test Squadron, a developmental test squadron that is part of the Air Armament Center here.

"The Air Force is committed to reducing our reliance on foreign oil," said Terry Yonkers, assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and logistics. "Our goal is to reduce demand, increase supply and change the culture and mindset of our fuel consumption."

Although mission data has yet to be analyzed, just by leaving the ground the demonstration was considered a success. It proved an Air Force aircraft can be flown using a synthetic fuel blend.

A big indicator came from the test pilot, Maj. Chris Seager, after the flight. Immediately upon stepping out of the aircraft, he approached the fuel certification officials saying (the flight) "felt great, no problems whatsoever."

"This sortie was pretty uneventful and predictable ... that's a good thing," said the test pilot, who focused on monitoring his gauges and engine performance during the flight. "It was a real privilege to be part of this ground-breaking demonstration."

After hearing from the pilot, the certification officials, who traveled here from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, breathed a little easier, but had no doubts about the demonstration and its potential.

"We weren't concerned at all about the flight," said Jeffrey Braun, director of the Alternative Fuels Certification Office. "We knew it would take off and we're thrilled this project is moving forward."

The fuel used for the demonstration was from the camelina plant, a weed-like plant that needs little to flourish and isn't used as a food-source. The refining process as well as the emissions of the HRJ fuel is cleaner than conventional fuels, according to Alternative Fuels Certification officials.

The Air Force is the largest user of jet fuel in DOD, consuming 2.4 billion gallons per year. The goal is to switch half of the continental U.S. jet fuel requirement to alternative fuels by 2016. A short-term goal is to have all Air Force aircraft certified to fly using alternative fuels by 2012, according to Mr. Yonkers.

The 40th FTS's two-month build up to the pioneering flight was focused on safety and risk mitigation. The week of the flight, ground tests were performed and the A-10 flew with the fuels split into its two separate fuel tanks.

The A-10 has the ability to segregate its fuel system so one set of fuel tanks can be paired to one engine while the other set can be paired to the other engine without mixing fuel between systems. This makes the A-10 a perfect platform to begin testing fuel blends, according to Capt. Andrew Radzicki, a test engineer with the 40th Flight Test Squadron.

"To truly transform our economy, protect our security, and save our planet from the ravages of climate change, we need to ultimately make clean, renewable energy the profitable kind of energy," said President Barack Obama.

The Air Force plans for a second feasibility demonstration this summer using an F-15 Eagle to test performance parameters. A C-17 Globemaster III will be tested because of the amount of fuel it consumes and an F-22 Raptor test is planned because of the aircraft's complexity. The latter two tests are scheduled to occur later this year.



EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Maj. Chris Seager, 40th Flight Test Squadron test pilot, performs pre-flight checks on the A-10C Thunderbolt II as it prepares for the first flight of an aircraft powered solely on a biomass-derived jet fuel blend. The A-10 was fueled with a 50/50 blend of Hydrotreated Renewable Jet and JP-8. The flight took place here March 25. (U.S. Air Force photo by Samuel King Jr.) Hi-res



EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Airman 1st Class Nathan McFadden, 96th Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels specialist, pumps a 50/50 blend of Hydrotreated Renewable Jet and JP-8 into an A-10C Thunderbolt II for the first all-engine flight of an aircraft powered solely on a biomass-derived jet fuel blend. The flight took place here March 25. (U.S. Air Force photo by Samuel King Jr.) Hi-res



A-10C 81-0989 awaits its groundbreaking flight as the first all-engine flight of an aircraft powered solely on a biomass-derived jet fuel blend. Nice ladder door art (created in 2002) with the following inscriptions: HOG TEST - 40TH FLIGHT TEST - Eglin Air Force Base, FL - combined with the patch of the 46th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (46TH AIRCRAFT MXS - LIBERTADEM DEFENDAMUS). (U.S. Air Force photo by Samuel King Jr.) Hi-res



EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Test engineers check the laptop prior to a ground test of the A-10C Thunderbolt II March 24 prior to the groundbreaking flight powered solely on a biomass-derived jet fuel blend. The A-10 was fueled with a 50/50 blend of Hydrotreated Renewable Jet and JP-8. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.) Hi-res



EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Staff Sgt. Rusty Jones, 40th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, prepares to fuel the A-10C Thunderbolt II as it prepares for the first flight of an aircraft powered solely on a biomass-derived jet fuel blend. The A-10 was fueled with a 50/50 blend of Hydrotreated Renewable Jet and JP-8. (U.S. Air Force photo by Samuel King Jr.) Hi-res



EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Maj. Chris Seager, 40th Flight Test Squadron test pilot, talks with Staff Sgt. Rusty Jones, crew chief, as he performs pre-flight checks on the A-10C Thunderbolt II as it prepares for the first flight of an aircraft powered solely on a biomass-derived jet fuel blend. The A-10 was fueled with a 50/50 blend of Hydrotreated Renewable Jet and JP-8. (U.S. Air Force photo by Samuel King Jr.) Hi-res



An A-10C Thunderbolt II takes off from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., March 25, marking the first flight of an aircraft powered solely by a biomass-derived jet fuel blend. The A-10 was fueled with a 50/50 blend of Hydrotreated Renewable Jet and JP-8. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.) Hi-res

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Related video:



B-roll of a test flight of an Air Force A-10 flying with a biofuel that is derived from a plant. Scenes include the aircraft being filled with biofuel, preparing to take off, flying, landing and sound bites from the pilot and the AFCO Director. Video by (in-flight) SMSgt. Joy Josephson and (on the ground) TSgt. Peter Blanding.

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Related U.S. news coverage:

INTO THE GREEN: Eglin runs first test flight with all-biomass fuel (PHOTO GALLERY)

March 25, 2010 9:59 PM
Mona Moore
Daily News

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE — The Air Force made progress in its quest for alternative fuels Thursday when it flew an A-10 Thunderbolt II with 100 percent biomass fuel, called hydrotreated renewable jet (HRJ) fuel.

The fuel used for the flight was made of camelina plants and was engineered to run without modifying the aircraft's engine — a key to any alternative fuel the Air Force would agree to use.

Maj. Chris Seager, a test pilot with the 46th Test Wing's 40th Flight Test Squadron, said his historic flight was exactly what he had hoped: boring.

View a photo gallery from the test flight »

"It's a good flight if it's a boring flight," Seager said. "It was an uneventful sortie, which means it was a very good sortie. Things went well."

The Air Force has been looking at alternative fuels for quite awhile, said Tim Edwards, senior chemical engineer with the Air Force Research Laboratory.

The effort kicked into high gear in 2006, when then-Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne started pushing for quick answers to the rising cost of jet fuel.

Edwards and his colleagues went from testing a few gallons of biofuels at a time to buying hundreds of thousands of gallons a year.

"This is the first step in a much broader effort," said Jeff Braun, director of the Air Force's Alternative Fuels Certification Office.

The Air Force is the largest consumer of jet fuel in the Department of Defense. It has set a goal to replace half of its continental U.S. jet fuel requirement (about 400 million gallons) with alternative fuels that are cost-competitive and more environmentally friendly than traditional fossil fuels.

The Air Force Research Lab tests every "wet fuel" part of a plane with the alternative fuel before it starts testing it on planes themselves. The A-10 Warthog was the first to be tested.

Researchers started this week by running the fuel in the aircraft without flying, and quickly moved on to running one engine with the HRJ and the other with the traditional H8 fuel. Thursday's test flight was the first sortie with 100 percent HRJ.

The next step is to start the process over with another aircraft. Testing for the F-15 will start in a few months. The F-22 and the C-17 are next in line.

If all of the test flights are "boring," Braun's office will certify that the fuel can be used for the military.

The plan is to certify the biomass fuel by 2012 and have it in use by 2016.

"You have to create the demand to get the supply," said Beatriz Rodriguez, chief engineer for the Air Force Alternative Fuels Certification Office.

Once the fuel is certified, companies are expected to start producing the crude plant fuel so oil refineries can turn it into something the military can buy.

The Air Force consumes about 2.4 billion gallons of fuel a year, the equivalent of a small commercial airline, Edwards said.

As a large consumer of jet fuel, officials say the demand will make biofuel production a competitive industry and a cost-efficient product. Manufacturing plants for the alternative fuel already are being built in Louisiana and Washington.

"We'll be ready to use it when they're ready to deliver it," said Terry Yonkers, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Logistics.

Edwards said the goal is to certify several alternative fuels and eliminate a dependence on foreign oil. Researchers are looking at alternative fuels produced from animal fat and other plants.

Last year, the military certified the use of JP-8 jet fuel that was a 50/50 mix of biofuel. A biofuel produced in South Africa from coal and natural gas also was certified for Air Force use.

Associated photos:
Major Chris Seager lands an A-10 Thunderbolt II jet after the historic flight. (Photo gallery with 17 pictures by NWF Daily News, photos by Mark Kulaw)

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Video by WALA-TV "FOX10":



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