On Wings of Waste

Dean Sigler Diesel Powerplants, Sustainable Aviation 1 Comment

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is just one of several gyres that swirl in the world’s oceans, holding tiny bits of degraded plastic that threaten fish and sea birds. According to a new and ambitious project’s web site, there is hope for cleaning up the debris and turning it into a highly useful and prized commodity. The @Altitude project’s web site says, “Wings of Waste is the world’s 1st 100% recyclable plastic fuelled flight, piloted by Jeremy Rowsell. The flight route is Sydney to London, Spring/Summer 2012 (ETD October – now changed to early 2013), along the old barnstorming routes of the original United Kingdom/Australian air pioneers: Charles Kingsford-Smith, Amy Johnson and Bert Hinkler. Rowsell will fly a Diesel-powered Cessna 172, according to modified plans for the flight and is also “attempting to break two records: “1. To be the first to fly via plastic waste fuel at 100% treatment; and “2. To break a flight time from Sydney to …