I had never before been had to sign a waiver in order to board a flight, so that was a first for me. In a nutshell, the trip I recently joined on NASA’s DC-8 flying laboratory out of the Armstrong Flight Research Center was a combination of science nirvana and avgeek bliss. It’s evident that efforts are being made by the aviation sector to mitigate its environmental impact.
Testing the emissions and contrail formation capabilities of a new Boeing 737 MAX 10, which will eventually be added to United’s fleet, was the aim of the flight.
Sometimes you can see airplanes streaking across the sky, leaving behind small white clouds that resemble streamers. These are known as contrails. It appears that contrails may possibly have a greater overall impact on the climate.
What is the issue with food on airplanes? To discover out, I traveled to Atlanta. Contrails are far more efficient than atmospheric carbon dioxide at retaining heat, even though they usually disappear within a few hours.
It’s common knowledge that flying has a negative environmental impact. It takes a lot of fossil fuel to launch a jet plane from the ground and go hundreds of miles per hour through the sky. Seeing how much money the industry and other stakeholders are spending on doing what they do best was an eye-opening aspect of the research flight.
A few days after the flight, Lauren Riley, the chief sustainability officer at United Airlines, informed me, “We know that aviation contributes to global warming and climate change.” “My worry is that the pace at which sustainable aviation fuel is being developed is not keeping up with demand.”
NASA has had a DC-8 aircraft since 1985, when it first went into commercial use in 1969. It has conducted innumerable research flights over its nearly 55 years in the air, and it will actually be retiring next year. Eventually, a Boeing 777 will take its place.
As we trailed the Boeing 737 MAX, the cabin was packed with cutting-edge research tools to track particulates, ice crystals, and other airborne objects.
What implications does this have for travelers?
It’s difficult to predict with certainty what this research will actually lead to in the near future. The analysis still needs to be done, and an industry that maintains its assets (planes, in this example) for decades takes time to react to fresh climatic data. That being said, there are a few possible uses for it.
Initially, those involved in the research flight informed me that the information will be used to guide the development of the upcoming airframes and engines. Eventually, what the scientists discovered in October will help make flying more environmentally friendly.
Riley from United told me that the statistics might support the commercial case for boosting the production of sustainable aviation fuel more quickly.
“All of this knowledge will be packaged by United to support the production of SAF,” the spokesperson stated. “The general flyer should be aware that the industry is dedicated to acting morally.”