Cessna 182 Pilot Attempts Flight with Fuel from Plastic

Bethany Whitfield

Thursday, September 13, 2012 at 09:51 PM ET

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Key Takeaways:

Pilot Jeremy Rowsell plans to fly a modified diesel Cessna 182 from Sydney to London using fuel made from recycled plastic.
The fuel, produced by CynarPlc, converts end-of-life plastics into synthetic diesel through pyrolysis and distillation.
Approximately 5.5 tons of plastic are needed to create the 1,000+ gallons of fuel required for the six-day journey.
The project faces significant challenges, including difficulty attracting sponsors due to the serious risks involved, and a potential delay to its launch.

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As Cessna works to introduce its new jet-fuel-burning diesel 182 into the market by the second quarter of next year, one individual Cessna 182 pilot is taking the quest for alternative fuels into his own hands.

Jeremy Rowsell is planning on flying a six-day trip from Sydney to London in a Cessna 182 – which has been modified with a diesel engine – powered by fuel made from recycled plastic.