{"id":4451,"date":"2011-09-28T16:43:49","date_gmt":"2011-09-28T23:43:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?p=4451"},"modified":"2011-10-01T08:50:27","modified_gmt":"2011-10-01T15:50:27","slug":"green-flight-challenge-day-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/green-flight-challenge-day-one\/","title":{"rendered":"Green Flight Challenge – Day One"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Pipistrel's G4 being moved to impound area<\/p><\/div>\n

Sunday, September 25 marked the kickoff of the Green Flight Challenge sponsored by Google, a NASA Centennial Challenge managed by the CAFE Foundation, with a thorough technical inspection for each entrant, followed by a weigh-in.\u00a0 Held at the Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport, the event is an event of international importance, despite the small turnout.<\/p>\n

With only four entrants making an appearance out of the original 13 that had announced and made it through the rigorous design review, there might be cause for disappointment. Consider, though, the Berblinger competition<\/a> held in April at the Aero Expo in Friedrichshafen, Germany. 36 teams signed up,\u00a024 made it to the Expo,\u00a013 started the course and\u00a0eight finished. The GFC has a\u00a0comparable start-finish ratio, with many of the same issues stalling non-starters here as in Germany: lack of funds\u00a0 and\u00a0schedule, regulation\u00a0and fabrication difficulties.<\/p>\n

Despite the dropouts, Pipistrel, Stuttgart University, Phoenix Aircraft, and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) managed to field teams. In a serious blow, Embry Riddle’s team was disqualified, having failed to mount a ballistic parachute which they had carried in their drive from Florida (they simply ran out of time before the technical inspection), and lacking a second pilot to fill their Eco-Eagle’s second seat. The latter issue was an irreconcilable one between CAFE’s rules and the University’s. Embry Riddle would not allow a second pilot in an experimental craft, while CAFE required both seats to be filled.<\/p>\n

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Embry Riddle team leader Lori Costello checks out the Eco-Eagle<\/p><\/div>\n

Jack Langelann, Aeronautics professor at Pennsylvania State University and leader for the Pipistrel G4 team, made a plea for sportmanship in allowing the Embry Riddle group to at least fly on a demonstration basis, although they would not be a part of the official competition. The CAFE board approved this motion and the ERAU Stemme acquitted itself well in the next few days’ tasks.<\/p>\n

As the teams arrived, with Embry Riddle coming in just before the 2:00 p.m. deadline, each was escorted to a secure parking area on either side of the CAFE hangar, in which the all-important and highly-precise scales reside. Aircraft were under guard at all times while on the ground to prevent any inadventent damage or unintentional alterations.\u00a0 Mike Fenn, a CAFE board member, oversaw movement of the aircraft and assigned escorts for aircraft while they were moved to and from the weighing hangar, and for team members entering or departing the secure area. Transportation Security Agency (TSA) members also monitored the area for any interlopers.<\/p>\n