Thunderbirds To Perform First Demo With Alternative Fuel | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-07.07.25

Airborne-NextGen-07.08.25

AirborneUnlimited-06.25.25

Airborne-AffordableFlyers-06.26.25

AirborneUnlimited-06.27.25

Fri, May 20, 2011

Thunderbirds To Perform First Demo With Alternative Fuel

Air Show At Joint Base Andrews Will Be Flown With Camelina-Based Fuel

The Thunderbirds will use alternative fuel, unprecedented for any Department of Defense aerial team, at the Joint Services Open House at Joint Base Andrews in the Washington, DC area May 20 and 21, officials said Wednesday. The team will fly with Camelina-based hydrotreated renewable jet fuel as part of the nation's overall strategy to reduce reliance on foreign energy and establish greater energy security through conservation and use of "home grown" alternative energy sources, said Terry Yonkers, the assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and logistics.

The economic impact to the Air Force resulting from these types of energy efficiency initiatives could be savings in the "hundreds of millions of dollars on an annual basis," Yonkers said. "We are changing the culture of the Air Force, from our operators to every Airman that's out there turning lights off and being conscious about energy," Mr. Yonkers said. "This is going to be another marker for aviation history as these precision teams come out here and do the wonderful things that they do on JP-8 and biofuels and we're not going to see any difference when they're sitting in the stands."

Mr. Yonkers explained the Air Force has, to date, tested and certified biofuel as a 50-percent blend with regular jet fuel in the A-10 Thunderbolt II, the F-15 Eagle, the C-17 Globemaster III, and the F-22 Raptor, adding that fleetwide certification is on track for completion in 2013. The service continues to test and evaluate biomass fuels derived from camelina, or plant seed oil, beef tallow, or animal fat, and various waste oils and greases.

Members of the demonstration team said the use of "green" fuel fits into the overall Thunderbirds mission and will be transparent to both users and spectators. "The mission is to represent the pride, precision and professionalism of the nearly 700,000 Airmen of our Air Force ... at the same time we are showing the Air Force's dedication to alternative fuel, so it's a great opportunity," said Lt. Col. Case Cunningham, the lead pilot and Thunderbirds commander.

FMI: www.af.mil

Advertisement

More News

Airborne 06.30.25: US v ADS-B Misuse, NatÂ’l STOL Fire, Volocopter Resumes

Also: Netherlands Donates 18 F16s, 2 737s Collide On Ramp, E-7 Wedgetail Cut, AgEagle's 100th In S Korea The Pilot and Aircraft Privacy Act was introduced in the House by Represent>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (07.06.25)

“This delivery represents more than just a milestone. It symbolizes our shared commitment to national security and our unwavering support for the men and women who serve on t>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (07.06.25)

Aero Linx: Vintage Wings of Canada Foundation Vintage Wings of Canada is a not-for-profit, charitable organization with a collection of historically significant aircraft and is run>[...]

Classic Aero-TV: Portrait of the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation

From 2023 (YouTube Edition): To Preserve and Teach Incorporated as a non-profit domestic corporation in June 1997, the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation (AAHF) is a one-of-a-kind, >[...]

Airborne-NextGen 07.01.25: Volocopter Returns, B23 Energic, Iran Tech In UAVs?

Also: Air Taxis May Be Close, AgEagle Sells 100th, VAI Likes Bedford, AURA AERO Cleans Up Volocopter has resumed work towards the certification of its VoloCity eVTOL, this time und>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC