The push toward renewable fuel has taken to the air.
Aviation history was made in Reno, Nevada with the first jet flight powered by 100% biodiesel fuel.
On an airstrip in Nevada, pilots prepared this vintage Czechoslovakian plane to fly into the record books. It's not the plane but the fuel that made this an historic flight. It was the worlds first jet flight, powered entirely on biodiesel fuel made from vegetable oil.
The flight was a step toward new possibilities for renewable energy in aviation. Using the salad oil – turned biodiesel fuel, the plane reached an altitude of 17,000 feet which is important for testing how the fuel would react in colder temperatures. The pilots said there were no problems.
Green Flight International conducted the test flight; a company that promotes environmentally friendly aviation fuel.
While celebrating, the pilots were already set to accomplish another goal.
A trans-continental flight from California to Florida with 100% biodiesel fuel is scheduled for later in November. They hope this will be the first of many record breaking events using alternatives to petroleum based fuels.
The founder of Greenflight International said the goal of the test flights isn't to replace petroleum based fuel completely, but to implement biofuel into mainstream transportation systems.