AIA Executive Report - Aerospace Industries Association

Q&A
With Terry A. Yonkers
AIA sat down to talk about alternative fuels in aviation with Terry A. Yonkers,
Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Logistics.
The Air Force Energy Plan calls for enhancing security by increasing energy
supplies, including developing alternative fuels. Such fuels reduce dependence
on foreign sources and cut greenhouse gas emissions. The Air Force, at the
administration’s direction, is taking a leading role in testing alternative fuels
for commercial as well as military use. In June, history was made when a
Boeing AH-64D Apache helicopter in service with the Royal Netherlands Air
Force became the first rotorcraft to fly on a 50/50 blend of bio-kerosene and
traditional jet fuel. (see cover)
Terry A. Yonkers, Assistant Secretary of the Air
Force for Installations, Environment and Logistics
AIA What are your goals for the use of alternative aviation fuel by the Air Force
Yonkers Our goal is to be ready to cost competitively purchase 50 percent of our aviation fuel from alternative
sources by 2016. We’re in the process of certifying a number of platforms to fly on a 50/50 mixture
of both synthetic fuels and biofuels. Our target dates to achieve these objectives are 2011 and 2013,
respectively.
AIA
Yonkers
What aircraft will be using blended fuels first
We’ve already flown many platforms on a 50-50 blend with synthetic fuel and JP-8, including the B-1,
B-52, C-17, F-4, F-15, F-22, T-38, C-130 and the C-5. We’ve also flown the A-10 Thunderbolt on a
50-50 blend with camelina oil biofuel. I asked the major who flew this plane about his experience and
he said, “I couldn’t tell the difference.”
AIA Are there any distinctions between using alternative fuels in military as opposed to commercial aircraft
Yonkers Jet-A and JP-8 are pretty close. We do things a little differently than commercial companies with the
additives we put in the JP-8. What we’re really seeking is a drop-in fuel that can take the place of the
JP-8 with the same specifications and performance. As we look down the road, the hope is the mixture
would change from 50-50 to 60-40 or 70-30. At some time we may even be able to fly on 100 percent
biofuel.
AIA How long will it take for biofuels to be used widely in commercial aviation
Yonkers I think it’s going to be market driven. The Air Force and DOD are relatively small players in the overall
consumption of aviation fuel. We’re probably about eight percent of total aviation use in the USA.
If you compare overall fuel use for transportation in the nation, we are less than one percent. So in
terms of being able to drive the market there will be other folks, in particular commercial aviation, who
will drive the market. But if we can act as the catalyst, to show that we are ready to use biofuels and
synfuels, we are hoping that we can generate interest in the private sector to invest in the infrastructure,
manufacture and production capabilities that will start the ball rolling.
4 aerospace industries association