The country’s first military flight using blended bio-jet fuel, on an AN-32 transport aircraft, was flown in Chandigarh on Monday. Bio-jet fuel is made from Jatropha oil sourced from the Chattisgarh Biodiesel Development Authority and processed at the CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun.
Experimental test pilots and Test engineers from the Aircrafts and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE), the Indian Air Force’s premier testing agency, were involved in the project.
The IAF, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Directorate General Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DGAQA) and the CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum are combining their efforts for the project.
At a seminar in July, air chief marshal BS Dhanoa had said, “The IAF intends to fly an AN-32 with 10% bio-jet fuel at the Republic Day flypast on January 26, 2019.”