Flightpath. Sept 2013 | Page 17

I f you had spoken to aeronautical engineers even seven years ago about the prospect of flying commercial aircraft on biofuels, a great many of them would have dismissed the idea. Back then, biofuels were being used for automobiles and were liquid fuels such as ethanol — this cannot be used in aircraft engines, as it freezes easily which is a problem when you are flying at 35,000 feet and many degrees below freezing. But in early 2008, after a short period of testing, a Boeing 747-400 took off from London’s Heathrow Airport on an historic flight, the first to use a new type of advanced biofuel in a commercial jet aircraft. Since then, the prospect of sustainable biofuel powering the world’s fleet of aircraft has become a reality. We received certification from standards agency ASTM in 2010 that biofuels using two processing pathways were safe to use in passenger services and in all, over 1,500 commercial f?v?G2?fRF?V??6R6?f"?vR?fR6WfW&?Gf?FvW2????????rB&??gVV?2f?"f?F???? +?+?F?RgVV?2vR&RW6??r?B&W6V&6???r&R6??6??VB( ?G&???( ?gVV?2?F?W??fRfW'?6??? ??6?V?6?7G'V7GW&RF?F?R?WB?gVV?vRW6RF?F??F?W&Vf?&R????WrV?v??W2?"?&7&gB&R&WV?&VB?vR6?'V???R&??gVV??b?VVFVB??B??FVVBFW7Bf?v?B?7B?V"F?B?W7BF?B???B?6??V?2F?BvR6?6???FB?BF??W"?'?'BgVV?7W?W22?Bv?V??B?2f??&?R? +?+?vR6?RF?F?Rv?R?FR?vRvW&R&?RF??V&?g&??F?R?7F?W2?FR&Wf??W6??f?"W???R?F?R??FFRf?"WF???&??R&??gVV?2??G&?GV6VB??WW&?R7&VFVB&VG??&?WB?'WB?6?f?&6VBgVV?7W?W'2F?f??B&??F?W6V??BWF????g&????6?W&6R???6?VF??rF??6RF?B?BG'V?FWf7FF??r??7B??&??f?&W7B?vFW"W6R???BW6R6??vR?B??6?6???V??F?W2&?V?BF?Rv?&?B?vR6?f??BF?W6R?77VW2? +?+?vR?fRfW'?6??FV?6VBF?7G&?'WF???7?7FV??&?V?B??'?'G26VR?R?bF?Rv?&?N( ?26?f???"G&?7?'B?6??&RF??2F?3?6W'f?6R7FF???2??WW&?R???R?vR?6?6??7V?R&?V?BR?bF?R?V?BgVV?W6VB??G&?7?'FF????6?f?F????0??&??R6?F?FFRf?"?V7?G&?6?F???f?"??R6V7F?"F???&R????6&&??V?W&w?6?W&6W2? +?+??B6?V?B&VGV6Rf?F???4?"V?76???2'?WF??R?&6VB??gV??6&&???fV7?6?R76W76?V?B?&W6V&6?W'2?fR6??v?F?BF?R&?v?Bf?F???&??gVV?26?V?B&VGV6RV?76???2g&???W"6V7F?"'?WF??R6??&VBF?G&F?F?????WBgVV??F??2v?V?B?V?v????rv?F?6??WfR?W"??GW7G'??G&?fV?F&vWG2f?"V?76???2&VGV7F???g&??f?F???? +?+??B?2?W"????F????vRv???&Rf???r???V?BgVV?2f?"F?Rf?&W6VV&?RgWGW&R?V???R?F?W"G&?7?'B??FW2?vR6???BW6R?FW&?F?fW27V6?2V?V7G&?6?G??F?W&Vf?&R?vR&R7GV6?v?F???v??V?W&w??V?BgVV?2?v???RvR?fR??vVBF?&VGV6R?W"gVV?6??7V?F?????&W76?fV?( B??FW&??&7&gB&RvV???fW"sR??&RgVV??Vff?6?V?BF??F?Rf?'7B?WG2?B?fR6???"W'76V?vW"gVV?6??7V?F???26???6'2( BgVV?7F?????W2W?fW"3R?b??&??^( ?2?W&F??r +?6?7G2?f?v?GF??$??eTT???rD?ReUEU$R?bd?t?C???rD?tUBD?U$S???p??