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.”
The last remaining T-1 Jayhawk at JBSA-Randolph, Texas, took its final flight to the "Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on July 15. The 99th Flying Training Squadron will train pilots using T-6 and simulator until it gets T-7 Red Hawk in fiscal 2026.