Bertrand Piccard and Andr Borschberg, the Swiss pilots who plan to fly the solar-powered Solar Impulse 2 aircraft around the world, announced the route they will follow at a news conference in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday morning. After launching from Abu Dhabi in late February or early March, the route includes stops in Muscat, Oman; Ahmedabad and Varanasi, India; Mandalay, Myanmar; and Chongqing and Nanjing, China. They will cross the Pacific Ocean via Hawaii, and then Si2 will make three stops in the U.S. — Phoenix, Arizona; somewhere in the Midwest; and New York City. After crossing the Atlantic, the aircraft will land in Southern Europe or North Africa before flying back to Abu Dhabi, in late July or early August.
The first round-the-world solar adventure will span approximately 25 days of flying, with Solar Impulse cruising at speeds between 30 and 50 knots. “With our attempt to complete the first solar-powered round-the-world flight, we want to demonstrate that clean technology and renewable energy can achieve the impossible,” said Piccard. “We want youth, leaders, organizations and policymakers to understand that what Solar Impulse can achieve in the air, everyone can accomplish here on the ground in their everyday lives. Renewable energy can become an integral part of our lives, and together, we can help save our planet’s natural resources.” The project has been in the works for 12 years.
