Fri, Nov 28, 2008
Air New Zealand Biofuel Test Flight All Set
The 'world's first' commercial aviation test flight powered by a
sustainable second-generation biofuel is ready to go next
Wednesday, December 3, 2008.
The jatropha fuel has now been blended 50:50 with standard Jet
A1 fuel by Air New Zealand at its Auckland Engineering Base. The
biofuel blend, named J50, has now been transferred into an RNZAF
fuel tanker ready to fuel the Air New Zealand Boeing 747-400 early
next week.
The two-hour test flight is scheduled to take off from Auckland
airport on Wednesday morning December 3, with the jatropha biofuel
blend powering one of the Air New Zealand Boeing 747-400's
Rolls-Royce RB211 engines.
The pilot in command of the test flight is Air New Zealand 747
Fleet Manager Captain Keith Pattie, other crew onboard the flight
will include Boeing test pilot Captain Thomas Imrich and Air New
Zealand’s Chief Pilot and General Manager Airline Operations
Captain David Morgan.
Captain Pattie and the crew will operate the flight
predominantly out over the wider Hauraki Gulf area. During this
time they will undertake a number of fuel tests confirming and
measuring the performance of the engine and fuel systems at various
altitudes and under a variety of operating conditions.
The test flight is a joint initiative between Air New Zealand,
Boeing, Rolls-Royce and UOP, with support from Terasol Energy, 'as
part of commercial aviation's drive for more sustainable air travel
for future generations.'
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