Abu Dhabi: Flying at over 25,000 feet in the air, the Swiss-made Solar Impulse 2 flew high and free using only the power of the sun to complete its second leg of a worldwide flight last night (Tuesday) on course to arrive in Ahmedabad, India.
The Solar Impulse 2 began its first sea crossing from Muscat, Oman, after leaving the Omani capital shortly after dawn around 6.30am local time, for its expected 16-hour flight across the Arabian Sea.
For the second flight, Bertrand Piccard piloted the flight, taking over from Andre Borschberg who piloted the first flight.
Both founders of the project will alternate for the aircraft’s 12 trips.
The second journey to India saw the aircraft fly at a much higher altitude than its first flight, with the aircraft flying as high as 27,000 feet, causing the temperature in the cockpit to reach -5 degrees.
The flight was expected to arrive in Ahmedabad at 8.15pm (10.15pm UAE time), after which the aircraft was expected to be stored as per usual for maintenance and checking, before flying to Varanasi, also in India.
The Solar Impulse 2 originally began its historical journey from Abu Dhabi, with the entire trip expected to take five months before returning to Abu Dhabi in late July.
The aircraft’s wings are covered by more than 17,000 solar cells that recharge the plane’s batteries. It flies ideally at around 25 knots, or 45 km/h.
On Monday, Andri Borschberg, who co-founded the Solar Impulse company that built the plane, flew the Si2 from Abu Dhabi to nearby Oman in the first leg of the epic journey.
The Swiss explorers say their aim is to highlight the importance of renewable energy and the spirit of innovation. They say the visionary journey is a “strong message for clean technologies”.
Si2 is slated to make 12 stops during its 35,000-km journey, including in China and Myanmar, before it crosses over the Pacific Ocean. It will then land in Hawaii and the US Midwest and East Coast before flying over the Atlantic Ocean. It may also stop in southern Europe or North Africa, depending on weather conditions.
Some legs of the trip, such as over the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, will mean five days and five nights of flying solo. Both pilots have been training hard for this journey, which will span 25 flight days over five months.
The Si2 aircraft has a wingspan of 72 metres (236 feet), spanning larger than a Boeing 747 jumbo jet. At around 2,300kg, the Si2 weighs about as much as a minivan or mid-sized truck. An empty Boeing 747, in comparison, weighs some 180,000kg.
Sami Zaatari is an intern at Gulf News
With inputs from AFP
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