Solar Impulse 2 landed Tuesday in the UAE, completing its epic journey to become the first sun-powered airplane to circle the globe without a drop of fuel to promote renewable energy.
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The Secretary-General said: “You are helping pilot us to that future through your vision, your determination, your courage, and your inspiration and also your great example”.
The plane has clocked an average speed of 80 kilometres an hour (50 miles per hour).
Masdar, a government-backed energy company, was one of the sponsors of the Solar Impulse 2.
The Swiss explorer urged the public not to accept the world record as granted, but to “take it further”.
But the aircraft was grounded in July past year when its solar-powered batteries suffered problems halfway through the trip.
Its North American stops included California, Arizona, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and NY.
“The landmark return of Solar Impulse 2 to Abu Dhabi serves an important message to future generations that it is high time to think differently and that the humanity is capable to induce change”.
“Solar Impulse 2” began its landmark journey in March of past year from the same airport it arrived at in Abu Dhabi this Tuesday, covering around 40-thousand kilometers through close to 500-hours of flying. Two pilots, Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg were on board the revolutionary single-seater aircraft made of carbon fiber, with the wingspan of a Boeing 747, the weight of a family auto.
In conquering every hazard thrown up by the challenge of new technology powering the prototype purely on a renewable energy source through 17,000 solar cells on its long wings, the two Swiss pilots, Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg, have proved their point in splendid manner.
Neither pilot was able to stand in the cockpit while flying, but the seat reclined for stretching and its cushion could be removed for access to a toilet.
Bertrand Piccard, the Swiss psychiatrist, balloonist and pilot who was at the controls on the last leg of the flight from Cairo to Abu Dhabi, touched down after logging 48 hours and 37 minutes in the air – maybe 10 times longer than a commercial flight would have taken.
“By capitalizing on the engineering skills and expertise gained over the past decade, we will continue to work to encourage concrete innovations and disruptive solutions”, Borschberg said in the media statement.
Piccard’s grandfather, Auguste Piccard, broke the altitude world record with a balloon in 1931, reaching 15,781 meters during his flight.
Mr Borschberg, engineer and co-pilot, said Solar Impulse should be used as an example of what can be achieved.
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The project is being supported by Solvay, Omega, Schindler and ABB.
