Google Offers Largest Ever Prize In An Aviation Competition

NASA and the Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency (CAFE) Foundation of Santa Rosa, CA, will hold the 2011 Green Flight Challenge, sponsored by Google, at the Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa from Sept. 25 to Oct. 1. The competition's goal is to advance technologies in fuel efficiency and reduced emissions with cleaner renewable fuels and electric aircraft.

NASA's Centennial Challenges Program is providing $1.65 million in prize money to the winners of the competition. The purse is the largest aviation prize ever offered and attracted 13 teams, led by American innovators. Five of those teams successfully completed their aircraft and flight qualification requirements and will compete for the prize purse. The teams will fly their electric, biofueled and hybrid powered aircraft, to prove they have the most fuel efficient, small aircraft in the world.

To win the competition, an aircraft must fly 200 miles in less than two hours and use less than one gallon of fuel per occupant, or the equivalent in electricity. If more than one aircraft meets the criteria, first place will go to the team with the best combination of speed and efficiency. The fuel efficiency competition is on Tuesday, Sept. 27, and a speed competition on Sept. 29.

Aircraft will be on public display at the airport following the competition on Oct. 1, from 1000 to 1600 PDT. An awards ceremony and the Green Flight Challenge Exposition hosted by NASA will be held from 0900 to 1600 on Oct. 3, at the agency's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, CA.  

FMI: www.nasa.gov/challenges