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Bringing Stakeholders Together to Address
Aviation's Environmental Challenges
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IN THIS ISSUE:
AGA Newsletter welcomes your contributions. If you see anything that should appear in our next issue, send it to us!
aga.communications@lindberghfoundation.org |
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BREAKTHROUGHS & DISCOVERIES
Early Indicators of Aviation Futures & Environmental Issues
Sporty's Debuts MultiSump+
(GeneralAviationNews.com, March 2012)
 Now available at Sporty's is MultiSump+, which includes a fuel strainer, which eliminates wasted fuel.
The fuel tester has been enhanced with the addition of a micro-mesh stainless steel screen that keeps impurities and water from entering the fuel tank during pour back.
The MultiSump+ also allows the pilot to sample and individually inspect fuel from each sump while a quick dump feature transfers fuel to the lower catch can. This feature eliminates emptying the tester after each sump, saving pre-flight time, Sporty's officials said. Up to eight sumps can be tested before the catch can needs to be emptied. READ MORE...
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Swift Fuels Makes Progress on Unleaded
(GeneralAviationNews.com, March 2012)
Swift Fuels has been working on a 100 octane unleaded avgas for a number of years. I have been, shall we say, less than enthusiastic about the company's work for various reasons.
However, as of late, the company seems to be making some real progress, so I drove down to Indiana to visit its facility. I am happy to report that although Swift is not "out of the woods" yet, it is making some significant progress. READ MORE...
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The Future Of GA Fuels?
(Aero News Network, March 2012)
Taking A Different Approach To Find A Creative Solution
There is a lot of talk these days about the future of GA fuel, and we all know that 100LL will be phased out at some point in the likely not-too-distant future. ANN spoke with representatives from GAMI/Tornado Ally Turbo at Oshkosh this summer which took a different approach to the problem. Head of Engineering, George Braly, told us that what they did was find a fuel that works, and then write a specification around that fuel.
The GAMI solution was to pick a high-compression normally-aspirated piston engine, add a turbo-normalizer, and apply for an amended STC. After a great deal of wrangling with the FAA, including one fairly obstructive project manager, GAMI managed to move the project forward. READ MORE...
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(National Review Online, March 2012)  President Obama's latest renewable-energy fixation is algae. During a speech at the University of Miami, he touted his administration's $24 million investment in the fuel, saying, "Believe it or not, we could replace up to 17 percent of the oil we import for transportation with this fuel that we can grow right here in the United States."In 2010, the DOE awarded $6 million to Arizona State University for the creation of the Sustainable Algal Biofuels Consortium (SABC), $9 million to the University of California, San Diego for the creation of the Consortium for Algal Biofuels Commercialization (CABC), and $9 million to Cellana LLC Consortium in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. However, Dr. Matthew Posewitz, assistant professor at the Colorado School of Mines, estimates that there are already more than 100 academic efforts to modify and refine algae into fuel. So far, these DOE grants have done little more than add a couple more confusing acronyms to an already growing list. READ MORE... -
There's always room for more in the cornucopia of solar energy technologies.
 First there was wafer-reliant crystalline silicon solar. Then came glass-based thin film solar, followed by plastic thin film. Throw in concentrated photovoltaics, plus all the variations of "solar thermal" that create steam to drive turbines, and you'd think the basket was full.
Alas, researchers in Golden, Colorado will soon grow solar panels, a technique that could slash the costs, waste and energy requirements of solar cell and panel production.
That's right, grow.
The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden has figured out how to deposit a gaseous form of silicon onto an inexpensive metallic foil that acts as a seed crystal and gives root to adult silicon capable of handling photovoltaic chores. NREL uses chemical vapor deposition. READ MORE... -
Jet fuel made from sugar extracted from pine tree wood chips has passed Air Force lab tests, Virent Inc. and its partner said Monday.
Madison-based Virent and Virdia, formerly HCL Cleantech, said they were able to convert pine tree sugars into gasoline and jet fuel.
The project tapped Virdia's technology to convert cellulosic biomass into sugars. The sugars were then converted to fuel using Virent's chemical conversion process. READ MORE... -
Aircraft Manufacturers Accelerate Biofuel Commercialization(Gizmag.com, March 2012)
Three of the world's biggest aircraft manufacturers have set aside their differences in an effort to accelerate the development of biofuel for commercial aviation. In a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed this week, Boeing, Airbus and Embraer say they have agreed to work together on the development of drop-in, affordable aviation biofuels that will help the aviation industry reduce its carbon footprint.The agreement will see the three companies using their combined might to attempt to influence governments and lawmakers, biofuel producers, and airlines in an effort to "support, promote and accelerate the availability of sustainable new jet fuel sources." READ MORE...-
MATERIALS & MANUFACTURING Artificial Muscle is Strong as Steel
(SmartPlanet.com, March 2012)  Nanotechnologists in Texas have created artificial muscles by spinning carbon nanotubes into yarn that is stronger than steel. The new muscle simultaneously functions as fuel-cells and muscles, and is developed by Dr. Ray H. Baughman and his team at the NanoTech Institute at the University of Texas at Dallas. A catalyst-contacting carbon nanotube electrode is used as fuel-cell electrode to convert chemical energy to electrical energy as a super-capacitor electrode to store the electrical energy. It is also used as a muscle electrode to transform the electrical energy to mechanical energy. Then, a fuel-powered charge injection in a carbon nanotube electrode produces the changes that are needed for it to function. This is possible due to a combination of quantum mechanical and electrostatic effects present on the nanoscale, Baughman said. READ MORE...
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(AINONline.com, March 2012)  This year, Bombardier will launch one of the most ambitious flight-test programs in business aviation history. The Learjet 85 is scheduled to enter service in 2013 and as many as five test aircraft could make their first flights in the coming months. The 85 will be the first mostly composite aircraft certified under the stringent requirements of Part 25 of the U.S. Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) and breaks ground on several fronts: creating a new category of business jet between midsize and super-midsize; featuring a cabin that draws heavily from the luxury automobile industry; using composites for the fuselage and wings; and stitching together a complex global supply chain that must function perfectly for the company to bring the aircraft to market on time and within its performance and weight targets. READ MORE...-
(Gizmag.com, March 2012)
NASA has announced it will use a modular, unmanned flight research vehicle being built by Lockheed Martin for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to test enabling technologies for new kinds of lightweight, energy-efficient, flexible aircraft. The small aircraft, dubbed the X-56A, will be used to explore ways to suppress vibrations and alleviate the load on flexible aircraft from wind gusts and atmospheric turbulence.
While long, thin flexible wings can significantly reduce the weight of an aircraft, thereby increasing its endurance, they are susceptible to uncontrollable vibrations - or "flutter" - caused from the force of air flowing over them. This force has the potential to seriously damage the aircraft and can result in "catastrophic failure."
The X-56A, which is also known as the Multi-Utility Technology Testbed (MUTT) flight demonstrator, is powered by twin 52-pound thrust JetCat P200-SX turbine engines, with an additional hard point in the center of the aft upper deck of the fuselage for the mounting of an additional third engine or structural member to enable the testing of joined wing configurations. READ MORE... -
ORGANIZATIONS & INSTITUTIONS
(AOPA.org, March 2012)
An AOPA-backed bill exempting aircraft parts, supplies, and other components from sales and use taxes is headed to Idaho Gov. C.L. Otter for signing following unanimous passage by the state Senate.
House Bill 417 will exempt aircraft parts, supplies, and components installed by Idaho's FAA-approved maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) operators on out-of-state aircraft from state sales and use taxes. It passed the Senate Feb. 28. The House unanimously passed the bill Feb. 1. READ MORE...
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Airfield Access Bill Headed to Washington's Governor(AOPA.org, March 2012)
 Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire's signature was awaited on an AOPA-backed liability protection bill that could broaden access to private airfields in the state.
Throughout the legislative process AOPA teamed with the Recreational Aviation Foundation and the Washington Pilots Association to mobilize support for the measure, which includes aviation among recreational uses for which landowners are afforded liability protection when granting public access to their lands. READ MORE... -
(GeneralAviationNews, March 2012)
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The president's 2013 budget plan to charge $100 per flight to aircraft using controlled airspace was never expected to be adopted and it got another major setback when 195 bipartisan members of the House of Representatives sent Obama a letter opposing the fee.
"The letter is another clear example that user fees are a non-starter in Congress," said Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.), ranking member of the House aviation subcommittee. "Particularly given that the FAA Reauthorization bill has been signed into law, there is no need to continue to discuss this bad idea." READ MORE... -
FAA Funding Bill Becomes Law; User Fees Lurk(AINOnline, March 2012)
When President Obama signed the four-year FAA reauthorization bill on February 14, he put an end to more than four years of foot-dragging and often contentious debate, along with a record 23 short-term extensions of the FAA's operating authorization and ability to levy and collect aviation excise taxes, since the last four-year reauthorization expired in the fall of 2007.
The legislation authorizes $63.3 billion for FAA programs through 2015, while retaining-at current levels-fuel taxes as the means for general aviation to pay for its use of the aviation system. The new bill contains no new user fees, but that does not mean that GA is out of the woods for those four years. READ MORE... - Boeing Teams with Chinese Firm on Emission Reduction(Portland Business Journal, March 2012)
Boeing Co. said it's entered into an agreement with China's Comac aviation company to study energy conservation and emissions reductions.
As the Financial Times reports, Boeing (NYSE: BA) and the Chinese aviation company will jointly fund an aviation energy conservation center in Beijing that will collaborate with universities on research into areas such as biofuels for aircraft. READ MORE... -
(GeneralAviationsNews, March 2012)
Both Washington and Virginia have passed amendments to their state recreational use statutes (RUS) to include aviation as a recreational activity. Bills have passed both the house and the senate in each state and are being sent to the respective governors for signatures.
Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF) Washington State Liaison Bob Kay led the effort in Washington. Rep. Mark Hargrove sponsored the bill in the House while Sen. Joe Fain introduce the bill in the Senate. The RUS amendment adds the words, "aviation activities including, but not limited to, the operation of airplanes, ultra-light airplanes, hanggliders, parachutes, and paragliders," to the list of other outdoor recreational purposes in the statute. READ MORE...
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SYSTEM INNOVATIONS Future Planes Could Go Green with 'Engine-less Taxiing'(SmartPlanet.com, March 2012)
 While we know that most of the fuel burned by aircrafts occurs during flight, we often glaze over the fact that planes expend a substantial amount of energy while simply taxiing to and from a gate. And with abundant delays and last-minute gate changes, there's no telling just how much fuel is being wasted while planes move about the runway.To cut down on some of this waste, researchers at the University of Lincoln have proposed a method that would allow aircrafts to capture and reuse their own power. The saved energy would power trips to and from the gate, eliminating the need for jet engine use during the process. Researchers say the plan would save on fuel, slash emissions and reduce noise pollution. READ MORE... -
(GeneralAviationNews, March 2012)
 Adventure Pilot is now shipping its new premium GPS navigation device for general aviation pilots. The new iFly 720 builds on popular features from the iFly 700, while new features include sunlight readability, automated Wi-Fi updating and iFly Streets.
The 720 also has premium hardware enhancements like a faster processor, more efficient memory, and an internal power capacitor, according to Adventure Pilot officials. READ MORE... - Map of Airports with Autogas Now Online (GeneralAviationNews, March 2012) Thanks to GAfuels blogger Dean Billing, a map of all the airports that offer lead-free, ethanol-free autogas is now available at this link. Hovering over a marker will show you the airport's identifier. Selecting a marker will open the relevant page of airport information. READ MORE... - Airline Tests LED Travel Kits to Combat Jetlag (SmartPlanet.com, March 2012)
 The disorientating condition which many travelers suffer from, jetlag, occurs when you are required to fly across different time zones.
Not only does the condition mean that your body clock goes haywire, but time may have to be taken out of your trip in order to recover - sometimes accompanied by a plethora of herbal 'remedies', sleeping pills, or forcing your body to stay awake when its normal time zone would require rest.
However, Finnair are now trialing a kit which may help combat jetlag over a one-month period. READ MORE...
- 'Green' Horizons: The 'Greening' of Jetliner Cabins (ATWOnline.com, March 2012) Although news reports tend to focus on dramatic descriptions of future aero engines powered by hydrogen or solar cells, blended biofuels or blooming algae, it should be noted that aircraft interiors also are going through a period of 'green' evolution. Airlines in all parts of the world have announced the implementation of clean 'green' cabin initiatives, and while the challenges might seem less exciting technically than the ones confronted in an airframe-production hangar or an engine test house, they are still of vital importance to the future of the industry. 
'GREEN' CABIN UPGRADES Over several years, in-flight-magazine articles have heralded the use of recycled paper, natural fabrics, biodegradable plastics, organic replenishable resources and vegetable-based inks for items such as: menu cards, cocktail napkins, beverage cups, motion-sickness bags and amenity kits. A more recent corporate commitment, also described in in-flight-magazine articles, is the development of personal carbon-emissions offset programs. This concept was originally pioneered by British Airways as part of its sustainability philosophy, and a great number of airlines are now running similar CO2 campaigns. During their flights, passengers are offered the facility to calculate the quantity of their own personal CO2 emissions, and to make voluntary financial contributions to selected environmental compensation ventures such as wind farms, energy-saving machinery, forestation renewal and nature conservation. READ MORE... -
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AGA SPOTLIGHT
Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation Joins Aviation Green® Alliance as a Founding Member
(March 28, 2012)
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. Joins Aviation Green® Alliance as a Founding Member
On March 28th at Sun 'n Fun, the Lindbergh Foundation announced that Sikorsky Innovations had become the first rotorcraft company to join the Aviation Green Alliance as a Founding Member.
Sikorsky Innovations is Sikorsky Aircraft's technology development organization, charged with tackling the toughest problems in vertical flight. Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE UTX).
"We are thrilled to have Sikorsky Innovations join our elite group of Aviation Green Alliance Founding Members," said Lindbergh Foundation chairman and CEO Larry Williams. "I am confident that both Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh would be enormously proud to have such a prestigious organization-especially one with such close historical ties -- that has done so much for aviation as well as the environment, supporting this vital Foundation program. I look forward to continuing the collaboration between the Lindbergh and Sikorsky namesakes that began with Charles and Igor more than a half century ago."
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On Monday, Feb. 27, Joy Covey, a LightHawk volunteer pilot from Woodside, Calif., had some very special guests aboard her Pilatus PC-12: Two orphaned, injured mountain lion cubs, who needed to be taken to the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center in Scottsdale, Ariz.
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FUTURES OF AVIATION
Flying Car to Make Auto Show Debut
(GeneralAviationNews, March 2012)
 The Transition Roadable Aircraft, developed by Terrafugia, Inc., makes its auto show debut at the 2012 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), April 6-15 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City.
After years of testing and engineering breakthroughs, Terrafugia has decided it is time to share its unique product with the legions of fans attracted to the NYIAS, company officials said.
Show Director Alan Liebensohn is "...thrilled to have Terrafugia at the show this year." He adds, "The Transition is a truly unique vehicle that represents an enormous step forward in how we view personal transportation and individual freedom. We know it will be a huge crowd pleaser." READ MORE...
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Are Non-Military Drones Flying into Regulatory Quagmire?
(SmartPlanet.com, March 2012)
In the photo above, Damon Wolfe, a geodesist with the US Army Corps of Engineers, launches an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from a boat on Florida's Lake Okeechobee. While airborne, the UAV (aka drone) photographed a wide area over the lake, and the Corps could then use the photos to track the progress of various plant species at the lake.
It's a great application of a technology with huge potential. And it's one of many novel uses of drones that have cropped up in recent years. As the structural components, software controls and sensors that go into the UAVs have become more widely available, they've entered the land of do-it-yourself kits. In fact, the website DIY Drones offers tutorials, forums and open source software to get you going. It's what two ecologists I recently wrote about used to create a drone to help them conduct wildlife research in Sumatra.
But as The Economist recently covered in its Technology Quarterly, as UAVs glide into more civilian hands, they're also gliding into a regulatory realm of increasing complexity. READ MORE...
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Futuristic Biplane Design Eliminates Sonic Boom
(Gizmag.com, March 2012)
A throwback to early 20th Century aviation may hold the key to eliminating the sonic boom - at least according to researchers at MIT and Stanford University. Strongly reminiscent of biplanes still in use today, the researcher's concept supersonic aircraft introduces a second wing which it is claimed cancels the shockwaves generated by objects near or beyond the sound barrier.
In fact the idea is not a new one. The idea of a biplane to negate the sonic boom was proposed in the 1930s by aviation pioneer Adolf Busemann, also responsible for the idea of swept-wing aircraft. READ MORE...
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Record-breaking Supersonic UAV Jet in the Works(Gizmag.com, March 2012)
University of Colorado aerospace engineer Ryan Starkey is currently designing what he claims will be fastest, most fuel-efficient aircraft in its class. Known as the GoJett, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) will be powered by a new type of jet engine that he is also developing - the L-FX00. According to Starkey, that engine already has twice the fuel-efficiency of similarly-scaled jet engines, and he expects to double that efficiency again before the GoJett's first flight. READ MORE...
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Even if you're no longer a kid, you can never really outgrow paper airplanes.
Need proof? Check out this video of a 45-foot long beast being launched by a Sikorsky S58T helicopter over the Sonoran desert in Arizona on Wednesday. Arturo's Desert Eagle, named after the 12-year-old boy who inspired designed it, was sent flying at an altitude of 2,703 feet and with a speed of 100 mph about 10 seconds before crash landing. The event was staged as part of an effort by the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona to spark more interest in aviation and engineering among youth.
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LINDBERGH FOUNDATION NEWS Lindbergh Foundation Featured at Atlanta Aero Club(GeneralAviationNews, March 2012)
Officials from the Charles A. and Ann Morrow Lindbergh Foundation conducted a featured program at the regular bi-monthly meeting of the Atlanta Aero Club March 15.
John Petersen, Larry Williams, Gregg Maryniak and David Treinis were among the presenters.
In addition, Delta Air Lines, headquartered in Atlanta, was formally presented with the Atlanta Aero Club's Epps Aviation Award for outstanding aviation achievement for accomplishments that benefit the Georgia aviation community. Delta's Senior Vice President Mike Campbell was in attendance to accept the award. Also, Harold Beavis, VP of Public Relations for Delta, has joined the Atlanta Aero Club's board of directors for 2012. READ MORE... - Lindbergh Foundation Day at Sun 'n Fun
(Minneapolis, MN, March 2012)
The Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation held it's third annual Lindbergh Foundation Day and Aviation Green Alliance Forums on Thursday, March 29, 2012. A series of hour-long forums and panel discussions took place at the Central Florida Aerospace Academy starting at 9 a.m.
"This full day of forums highlights exciting developments where aviation and the environment intersect, as well as provide an historical retrospective of where we've come from, and what lies ahead in the future of aviation," said Lindbergh Foundation Board member and forum organizer John Petersen. "We are especially pleased that 2012 Lindbergh Award Recipient, Dr. Forrest Bird and Erik Lindbergh were able to join us as featured presenters for this year's program. - Lindbergh Foundation and LEAP Merge
(Minneapolis, MN, March 2012) 
The Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation announced that the LEAP Electric Flight Program, which includes the Lindbergh Electric Aircraft Prize, will become a program of the Lindbergh Foundation effective today. The Boards of Directors of the Lindbergh Foundation and Creative Solutions Alliance (the nonprofit organization that runs LEAP) felt that since the missions of both organizations are so closely aligned, it made sense to combine efforts to create a joint program that will make a lasting impact on the future of aviation.
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Erik Lindbergh will continue to support and promote the LEAP program on behalf of the Lindbergh Foundation.
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"We are very excited about this development," said Lindbergh Foundation Chairman and CEO Larry Williams. "The LEAP program is an ideal addition to the Lindbergh Foundation's programming, particularly for our Aviation Green Alliance program. The addition of the LEAP program will allow us to expand our efforts in green aviation initiatives, and offers a new audience for the Foundation." "This is an electrifying time for general aviation," said Erik Lindbergh, founder of LEAP. "Visionary thinkers are taking risks. The field is alive with novel approaches and is rich in activity and experimentation. I am excited about the great potential for advancement in electric aircraft, which I believe will change the way we move about the planet. Combining the energies of LEAP and the Lindbergh Foundation will help to accelerate the development of a green aviation industry." - |
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ABOUT AGA
The Aviation Green Alliance creates multiple platforms for Members to share strategies, findings, progress, and ideas related to aviation's environmental challenges. AGA offers memberships for everyone, at the corporate, individual & academic level. Visit our website for more information. |
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UPCOMING EVENTS
2012
Aircraft Electronics Association International Convention & Trade Show
April 3 - 6
Washington, D.C.
Aero Friedrichshafen
April 18 - 21
Friedrichshafen,
Germany
2012 European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition
May 14 - 16
Geneva, Switzerland
Regional Airline Association
May 21 - 24
Minneapolis, MN
Lindbergh Foundation
May 18 2012
The Explorers Club
New York, NY
EAA AirVenture
July 23 - 29
Oshkosh, WI
2012 Latin American Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition
Aug 16 - 18
Sao Paulo, Brazil
AOPA Aviation Summit
Oct 11 - 13
Palm Springs, CA
NBAA Annual Meeting & Convention
Oct 30 - Nov 1
Orlando, FL
Heard of an upcoming event? email us!
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MEMBER PROFILE: AGA Founding Member Sikorsky 
"Sikorsky has been employing a comprehensive strategy for environmental management and sustainability to lead the rotorcraft industry in reducing energy consumption, protecting our natural resources, and being a leader in green and sustainable initiatives and green technology," said Robert Araujo, Sikorsky Manager of Sustainable Development and Environmental, Health and Safety Programs. "Initiatives like the Aviation Green Alliance are an opportunity for industry leaders to leave an indelible mark on the future of green aviation, and Sikorsky is proud to support this effort."
Laurence Vigeant Langlois, Sikorsky Innovations' Director of Business Development & Partnerships, added, "The Lindbergh Foundation Aviation Green Alliance presents an opportunity for Sikorsky to demonstrate our engagement and to support initiatives that respond to the aviation industry's environmental sustainability challenges throughout the product life cycle. We look forward to sharing best practices and to maturing our partnership in environmental stewardship."
Sikorsky Joined the Aviation Green Alliance on March 28th during the annual Sun 'n Fun event.
AVIATION GREEN ALLIANCE FOUNDING MEMBERS:  Bombardier Aerospace
Cessna Aircraft Company
FedEx Corporation
Hawker Beechcraft Corp.
Jeppesen
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.
Individuals:
Greg Herrick
John and Martha King
David Treinis
Kermit Weeks
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VISIT THE AGA WEBSITE 
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AGA News Staff
Shelley Nehl - Staff Accountant
John Petersen - Editor
Andy Scott - Graphic Designer
David Treinis - Development
Kelley Welf - Consultant
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