Solar Impulse completes trip around the world with no fuel

According to project partner ABB, the plane made stopovers on four continents (Asia, North America, Europe and Africa) and flew across two oceans (the Pacific and the Atlantic), as well as the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabian Peninsula.

“Congratulations to the Solar Impulse team, and particularly pilots Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg, for their historic achievement”. The two hugged and pumped their fists in excitement. The plane, which has more than 17,000 solar cells built into its wings, runs on solar power during the day, but uses its battery-stored power at night.

The plane’s wings, which stretch 236 feet, are created to capture the sun’s energy.

However, it only weighs as much as the average family auto.

After touching down, Piccard addressed the crowd with a statement of hopefulness. Later, while onlookers cheered and applauded, he added, “The future is clean. You are helping to pilot us to that future”. The future is now. Solar Impulse is only the beginning, now take it further! To help steady it during takeoffs and landings, the plane was guided by runners and bicyclists. “At this moment, we must remember that, more than anything else, it is the start of what will come next, beyond Solar Impulse”.

But the aircraft was grounded in July a year ago when its solar-powered batteries suffered problems halfway through the trip. It took ten months to make sure the aircraft was in working order, before the journey continued.

The project has also been beset by bad weather and illness, which forced Piccard to delay the final leg.

There were 16 stops and many delays as the very light aircraft had to be nursed through hard weather conditions.

Over its entire mission, Solar Impulse 2 completed more than 500 flight hours, cruising at an average speed of between 56km/h and 90 km/h. It cruised along at an average speed of between 28 miles per hour and 56 miles per hour. The plane had 16 stopovers along the way including in Oman, India, Myanmar, China, Japan, the United States, Spain and Egypt.

Its North American stops included California, Arizona, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and NY. Piccard completed the flight, while his co-pilot André Borschberg managed the support team on the ground.

To keep the hours from being too taxing, and to manage their fatigue, Borschberg practiced yoga and Piccard self-hypnosis. Each pilot was allowed 10 20-minute naps over the course of 24 hours, and the longest leg took five days.

“There is so much potential for the aeronautical world”, Borschberg said.

The revolutionary voyage, which the team labeled a “13-year exploit”, demonstrates the biggest exploration of energy efficient batteries and clean technology that could potentially alter the way we travel. “United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon was talking to the pilot while he was still in the cockpit”, Mr Lennon said.