JANUARY 14 , 2008 —The Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative, a coalition of industry, government, academic, and military organizations focused on the emerging alternative fuels industry, has joined the PARTNER advisory board.
CAAFI promotes development of alternative fuel options that offer equivalent safety to petroleum fuels, and compare favorably in cost and environmental impact; the ultimate goal is energy supply security. Its sponsors include three trade associations: Airports Council International-North America, Aerospace Industries Association, Air Transport Association, and the Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Environment and Energy. CAAFI participants, which include PARTNER, are drawn from all elements of the international commercial aviation industry, fuel suppliers, universities, and government agencies including NASA and the defense and energy departments.
Its executive director, Richard Altman, represents CAAFI on the PARTNER board. Altman, a retired Pratt & Whitney engineer and advanced technology business manager, previously represented P&W on the board and was a founding PARTNER member. "I’m most pleased to be representing CAAFI and its interests in alternative fuels as a member of the advisory board,” Altman said. “CAAFI will serve PARTNER as an advocate for expanding research linking the environmental benefits of alternative fuels.” Altman lauded PARTNER’s ongoing alternative fuels project (Project 17) and its new Emissions Characteristics of Alternative Aviation Fuels (Project 20). "With prospects of significant new work in this area to come, we look forward to building an ever stronger fuels component within PARTNER,” Altman said.
The PARTNER board participates in strategic planning, reviews the research portfolio to ensure that it meets the highest standards of scholarly excellence, and provides recommendations for balancing the portfolio in response to national and international needs. Yearly it reviews PARTNER core competencies to provide recommendations for enhancing the capabilities of the research team. The board also provides guidance on financial strategy and operations.