The General Aviation Technology Challenge, hosted by the CAFE Foundation and funded by NASA, has announced the five teams that will take part in this year’s event, coming up Aug. 5 to 9 in Santa Rosa, Calif. The competition aims to promote the development of “green” and efficient GA aircraft. CAFE will award $300,000 in prizes for achievements in noise reduction, fuel economy (mpg), safe handling, and speed. The five teams will be: “Team Pipistrel” flying a Pipistrel Virus 912, team leader Frank Vance Turner; “Team Aerochia” flying a modified Diamond DA20-A1, team leader Geoff Stevenson; “Team Wilkinson Aero Sport” flying a Dynamic WT9, team leader Neil Wilkinson; “Team Lambada” flying a UFM-13 Lambada, team leader John A. Dunham; and “Team Flight Refine” flying a Flight Design CT, team leader John Robert Basham. All of the competing aircraft are two-seaters, and four of the five are light sport aircraft. One will fly on biodiesel fuel.
The flight competition will be staged at the CAFE Flight Test Center at Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport beginning on Aug. 5, 2008, and conclude with a cross-country “Green Prize” race on Saturday Aug. 9. A static display of the winning aircraft and their scores will be open and free to the public at Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport’s CAFE Foundation Flight Test Center on Aug. 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
