Today at 1400 the US Navy will broadcast the flight of its “Green Hornet,” an F/A-18 operating on a blended biofuel, live on the internet.

The flight can be watched here.  You can also read the Navy announcement, which contains another link.

While it is yet another public relations coup on the part of the Navy flight testers, it is also a significant risk.  Normal military aviation has a hard enough time doing something as simple as taking off on time.  Combine those uncertainties with the unknowns of a flight test, and the risk is not insignificant.  (Ever wonder why you never saw a live broadcast of the F-22 or F-35 first flight?)

While it is highly unlikely the test of the fuel will generate any problems, the Navy will be challenged to prevent many of the “normal” difficulties from interfering with the flight.

If it goes well, it will be a public relations triumph for the Navy.  If it doesn’t, their dirty laundry will be all over the world wide web.