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Contact: Doug Rodante
Green Flight International
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WORLD’S FIRST JET FLIGHT POWERED
ENTIRELY ON RENEWABLE BIODIESEL FUEL
Green Flight International and Biodiesel Solutions
partner to set a new precedent in the use of
renewable fuels in transportation.
RENO, NV. (October 5)… Aviation history was made
earlier this week in the high desert at the
Reno-Stead Airport when an L-29 military aircraft
piloted by Carol Sugars and Douglas Rodante
succeeded in completing the world’s first jet flight
powered solely by 100% biodiesel fuel. The
Czechoslovakian-made aircraft is rated to fly on a
variety of fuels including heating oil, making it
the preferred platform for testing biodiesel in jet
engines.
The experimental test flights were conducted
starting with a blend of jet fuel and biodiesel. The
engine data was measured and the performance was
evaluated and found acceptable for continued use,
eventually resulting in the landmark flight using
100% renewable biodiesel fuel. According to Chief
Pilot Carol Sugars who wrote and conducted the test
program, “As we gradually increased the amount of
biodiesel in the fuel blend, the data confirmed that
the aircraft continued to perform well, giving me
the confidence to transition to 100% biodiesel.”
Flight tests were conducted up to an altitude of
17,000 feet showing no significant difference in
performance compared to conventional jet fuel.
“This test program between Green Flight
International and Biodiesel Solutions was a unique
and exciting opportunity to show what can be done in
renewable fuels.” said Rudi Wiedemann, president of
Biodiesel Solutions. “The very idea of using 100%
biodiesel to fly a jet aircraft makes a compelling
statement about the possibilities for the future of
renewable energy and a healthier planet.”
Out of concern for our global environment, Green
Flight International was conceived by Douglas
Rodante in April 2006 to serve as a platform for future
development in the use of environmentally-friendly
fuels in aviation and elsewhere. “It is imperative
that the global community take immediate steps to
reduce our carbon footprint, because we can no
longer afford to wait while our environment
continues to degrade.” said Rodante. “By
implementing even a small amount of bio-degradable
fuel in our transportation system we can
significantly reduce the CO2 (greenhouse gasses) and NOx (the precursor to smog) that contribute to
global warming.”
In the near future Green Flight International
expects to announce plans for another
record-breaking aviation event. They invite aviation
and biofuel enthusiasts to inquire about how they
might be able to participate in this exciting
venture. For more information contact Doug Rodante
at (407) 880-2501 or
doug@greenflightinternational.com .
About Green Flight International
Green Flight International (www.greenflightinternational.com)
was founded in 2006 to promote wider adoption of
environmentally-friendly fuels in commercial
aviation through international television media and
print outlets.
About Biodiesel Solutions
Biodiesel Solutions, Inc. (www.biodieselsolutions.com)
based in Sparks, Nevada is the world’s leading
manufacturer of community-scale biodiesel production
equipment, empowering communities worldwide to
produce their own clean biodiesel fuel from their
own locally-grown materials. The company is a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Renewal Fuels, Inc.
(OTC-BB: RNWF) (www.renewalfuels.com),
a publicly-traded company which focuses on non-food
based technologies for producing renewable fuels and
energy.
DOWNLOAD in PDF format
The Apopka Chief, September 14,
2007
Pilot wants to make cross-country 'green' flight
By Chris Gauthier Apopka Chief Staff
The president of Orlando Apopka Airport will make
avia¬tion history soon when he makes the first
transcontinental flight in a plane powered
exclusively by biofuel.
On September 30, Doug Rodante,
who is also president/chief executive officer of
Green Flight International, will go to Reno, Nevada,
to conduct the first tests using canola oil, which
has been turned into biodiesel ,fuel, in a military
fighter jet he purchased to raise funds for his
charity. A major concern is that bio-diesel tends to
jell at low temperatures, so several flight and
performance tests will be made over a five-day
period. If all goes well, Rodante will make the
cross-country trip from Reno to Central Florida
October 30. If Orlando Apopka's runway, which is
still under construction, is completed at that time,
he will land there; if not, the plane will go to
either the Leesburg or Sanford airport.
During the flight, the pilot will stop in Texas for
an emissions test to prove the carbon output is much
lower than tradi¬tional fuels. He will also put a
new additive into the aircraft to reduce the NOx
output, which causes smog. "Our goal is to go 100%
Biofuel across the country," Rodante said. "That's a
first. It's definitely a record breaker."
Rodante, who has been active in the television
industry for more than 20 years, will televised the
event. This night is a precursor for an around-the
world flight in a Lear jet powered by a mix of
Biofuel and jet fuel next year. That flight will
also be televised.
Rodante started Green Flight International, which
promotes environmentally friendly fuels in
commercial aviation, because of his environmental
concerns. "The significance is that, if it can be
done in a jet, then land-based transportation can
use it because it's a little more critical in an
aircraft," he said. "The carbo": output is
significantly reduced in Biofuel compared to
petroleum, diesel or jet fuel."
The cross-country flight will be a fundraiser for a
charity that Rodante and his wife started at Orlando
Apopka Airport, Angel Flight. Using the resources of
other pilots and their airplanes, they teamed up
with a national organization to form a subchapter
that specializes in giving airplane rides to
terminally ill or disabled children. The charity was
the stepping-stone to Green Flight International.
"It's' all taking place here in Apopka," he said.
"The whole idea was conceptualized here in Apopka
starting with the children's charity."
SEE THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE
March, 20, 2007
First Cross Country Jet Aircraft Flight Powered by Bio Fuel
