INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
But supersonic flight startup Boom wants to change the perception of commercial aviation as an emissions-costly prospect, starting with
their testing development program for the XB-1 supersonic demonstration aircraft that will eventually lead to the development of its
Overture passenger aircraft.Boom claims this will make it the first commercial flight OEM to achieve this level of sustainability,
especially from the very beginning of its aircraft flight testing and certification process
net reduce greenhouse gases) to reduce its overall carbon footprints to zero.The fuel that Boom is using comes from partner Prometheus Fuel,
which is a company that uses electricity from renewable power sources, like solar and wind, to turn CO2 scrubbed from the air into jet fuel
Already, Boom has tested this fuel in use during some of its initial ground tests, and its findings indicate that it should be able to use
it effectively through both the remainder of ground testing, as well as into its flight program.While there is some debate about the overall
validity and efficacy of carbon offsets, provided that money from these programs is funneled into the proper initiatives, they do seem to
result in more ecological good than not
aircraft, should be better for the environment than had no attempt been made whatsoever
Which, by the way, is the case for most new aircraft development programs.Already, Boom is in the process of building the XB-1, which it
will then flight test in partnership with Flight Research during a program in the Mojave Desert at the Mojave Air and Space Port
The goal is to begin testing this summer, and eventually use the information gathered from the XB-1 program (which will be able to hold a
pilot but no passengers) to build out the final Overture aircraft that will offer commercial passenger supersonic flight services
Boom has secured agreements with a number of airlines for pre-orders for Overture, including JAL and Virgin.
