Branson's 'Nutty' Idea To Power His Jets

LONDON, Feb. 24, 2008— -- Virgin Flight 811P took off from London Heathrow this morning fueled, in part, by 150,000 coconuts and babassu nuts picked in the Amazon rainforest. The Boeing 747 touched down safely 40 minutes later in Amsterdam.

This was either a milestone in aviation history on a par with Lindbergh's first solo crossing of the Atlantic, or it was a cynical public relations stunt. It depends on how you look at it.

"This is the first stage on a journey towards renewable fuel," Virgin's founder Richard Branson told hundreds of journalists gathered to watch the take-off. "It's the equivalent of those exciting first few steps by a baby."

See more about the Virgin flight tonight on "World News." Check your local listings for air time.

There was a carnival atmosphere: Free bagels and back rubs in the Virgin hangar at Heathrow for the press. Branson, ever the showman, posed with a coconut. But environmentalists were not impressed. "This is a greenwash," Leo Murray of the pressure group Plane Stupid told us. "It is designed to send a message out to the public that it's OK to continue flying because a 'technofix' is just around the corner."

What does today's flight prove? Only that biofuel can work at 25,000 feet -- it won't freeze at 30 degrees below zero. But as Branson said, this is a baby step. Only one of the 747's four engines was powered by a biofuel blend – 20 percent biofuel and 80 percent conventional aviation fuel.

There are some bigger steps that must be taken before biofuel is used for vacations. First up, a sustainable and viable source of biofuel must be found.

Corn, palm oil or coconuts are not the answer: Rainforest is cleared for their production or they compete with traditional agriculture and take up land that is needed to grow food.

Fuel from algae might be the answer. But most experts think that technology is a long way off. Decades, perhaps. Branson thinks Virgin aircraft could be flying on algae in the next five to 10 years. Optimistic? I asked him. "Well, as you know, I'm an optimistic person."