Solar Impulse 2 has landed in India, after departing Monday morning from Abu Dhabi on an attempt to circumnavigate the globe powered only by the sun. The first leg, about 13 hours, was flown to Oman, about 215 nm away, by pilot Andre Borschberg, and after a short pit stop, Bertrand Piccard flew the second leg of about 800 nm, which took about 15 hours. The night landing was broadcast live on the Internet at the Solar Impulse website. Piccard flew across the Arabian Sea and part of Pakistan, and then maneuvered the big, slow airplane in a holding pattern while awaiting permission to land. The flight set an unofficial world record for distance flown in a solar-powered airplane.
The next leg, which is expected to launch later this week, will cover about 578 nm to Varanasi, India, taking about 15 hours of flight time. The entire circumnavigation is expected to take up to five months, with about 25 days of flying. The longest leg, from China to Hawaii, will take about five days nonstop. The airplane carries only one pilot, so Borschberg and Piccard will share the flying duties along the 22,000-mile route. The flight, sponsored by a nonprofit group, is meant to symbolize the promise of clean technologies and inspire the next generation of innovators.
