Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne and FAA chief Marion Blakely took time at the Paris Air Show to discuss ongoing alternative aviation fuel developments. The two held a press conference aboard a C-17 airlifter, which is considered one of the most fuel-efficient cargo aircraft. The Air Force is DOD’s largest consumer of energy, primarily aviation fuel, so it is no wonder that the service has embarked on testing synthetic aviation fuel. The FAA has two major studies underway for its Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative, and Blakely said the agency expects CAAFI “to develop a national roadmap on the viability of alternative fuels for aviation.”
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.