Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne and FAA chief Marion Blakely took time at the Paris Air Show to discuss ongoing alternative aviation fuel developments. The two held a press conference aboard a C-17 airlifter, which is considered one of the most fuel-efficient cargo aircraft. The Air Force is DOD’s largest consumer of energy, primarily aviation fuel, so it is no wonder that the service has embarked on testing synthetic aviation fuel. The FAA has two major studies underway for its Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative, and Blakely said the agency expects CAAFI “to develop a national roadmap on the viability of alternative fuels for aviation.”
The 301st Fighter Wing in Fort Worth, Texas, became the first standalone Reserve unit in the Air Force to get its own F-35s, welcoming the first fighter Nov. 5.