Air Mobility Command Looks To Increase Fuel Efficiency On Every Flight

As the Air Force's largest consumer of aviation fuel, Air Mobility Command officials are taking a leadership role in efforts to reduce fuel consumption across all mobility Air Force missions. Members of AMC's Test and Evaluation Squadron at Joint Base Mcguire-Dix-Lakehurst, recently completed an operational evaluation of a new fuel savings concept called Mission Index Flying, which utilizes airborne solution software in the cockpit, allowing aircrews to fly at optimal altitudes and airspeeds for their current flight conditions, thereby minimizing flight time and fuel burn and reducing operating costs.

AMC Fuel Efficiency Office officials benchmarked the concept from the commercial aviation industry, which uses similar technology, and designed a program to integrate MIF into the mobility fleet. Once operational, MIF could reduce fuel burn across MAF aircraft by 1 to 2 percent, or roughly $32.7 million per year in fuel costs.

Beginning Jan. 17, Maj. Ryan Orfe, Maj. Jonathan Mackay and Capt. Linda Thierauf, the test directors, teamed with pilots from the 6th Airlift Squadron on C-17 Globemaster III flights from the U.S. to Europe to evaluate this fuel savings concept. During fifteen sorties, the C-17 pilots operated the test software and hardware and commented on how this new system affects their responsibilities in the cockpit during different phases of flight.

The MIF Airborne Solution software is a standalone, Windows-based flight planning program that aircrews will use on AMC-mission laptop computers or electronic flight bags during sortie execution. Utilizing data collected during this test, AMC TES officials will evaluate if the MIF Airborne Solution software is effective and suitable for aircrew use during C-17 strategic airlift missions.

FMI: www.af.mil