Solar Impulse, the one-of-a-kind solar-powered airplane from Switzerland, flew above the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco on Tuesday as the crew prepares for a flight across the U.S. next month. The aircraft took off from Moffett Field about 7 a.m. with Bertrand Piccard at the controls and flew above the bridge at about 3,500 feet. Another flight above the Bay Bridge was planned for later in the day. As the crew continues to prepare for the cross-country trip, experts in the development of battery-powered aircraft will be gathering in nearby Santa Rosa for the 7th annual CAFE Electric Aircraft Symposium.
A roster of speakers from research centers, NASA, the Green Flight Challenge, and major aerospace companies will be meeting at the event to share an “interest in rejuvenating general aviation with small, quiet electric aircraft,” event organizer Brien Seeley told AVweb on Tuesday. “Several new electric aircraft and related technologies will be unveiled,” he added. The event will be held Friday and Saturday; registration is open online. AVweb‘s Mary Grady will be reporting on the symposium from the site.
