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Aviation’s War on Chickens

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Key Takeaways:

  • NASA is testing "Hydrotreated Renewable Jet Fuel," made from chicken fat, as a sustainable alternative jet fuel source in its AAFEX II experiment.
  • The primary goal of this research is to reduce aviation's environmental footprint and decrease its dependency on foreign petroleum.
  • The U.S. military is actively involved, providing fuel for NASA's tests and aiming to certify 50% of its fleet to operate on similar biofuels.
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It made me simultaneously giggle and wince when I read that a bio-fuel study conducted by NASA is testing chicken fat as an alternative renewable jet fuel source.

Researchers are using a NASA DC-8 to test what they call “Hydrotreated Renewable Jet Fuel.” “It’s made out of chicken fat, actually,” said Bruce Anderson, AAFEX II project scientist at NASA’s Langley Research Center. Performance and emissions are being tested as part of the experiment called Alternative Aviation Fuel Experiment II, or AAFEX II. 17 organizations from private industry, other federal organizations, and academia are participating in AAFEX II.

Pia Bergqvist

Pia Bergqvist joined FLYING in December 2010. A passionate aviator, Pia started flying in 1999 and quickly obtained her single- and multi-engine commercial, instrument and instructor ratings. After a decade of working in general aviation, Pia has accumulated almost 3,000 hours of flight time in nearly 40 different types of aircraft.

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