This Swiss engineered plane on Tuesday landed in Abu Dhabi, from where it first took off on an epic 40,000-kilometer journey that began more than a year ago.
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“What an extraordinary experience to have witnessed the culmination of this 12-year design project and collaborative effort to build and fly an aircraft that many thought impossible”, said Bernard Charlès, Vice Chairman & CEO, Dassault Systèmes.
The record-making journey was undertaken by the founders of Solar Impulse and Swiss pilots Andre Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard. Like a magnifying glass used to focus the sun’s rays, Solar Impulse 2 has ignited the imagination, telling us that clean energy is already possible, though the climate wars rage on.
Solar Impulse touched down in the UAE on its 17th and final leg after a short flight from Cairo, concluding a 42,000 kilometre journey that saw it cross two oceans, three seas and four continents. It was again delayed for over a week in Cairo when Piccard fell ill.
Solar Impulse 2, the electric-powered aircraft, has completed its historic trip round-the-world trip as a message that clean energy aircraft have a place in future air travel.
As Merrit reported for the Two-Way when Solar Impulse embarked on its final leg, organizers called it one of the most complex they’d undertaken, citing heat on the ground, thermal currents, and no-fly zones.
“Beyond this historic milestone, the two Swiss pioneers will continue to urge the global implementation of energy efficient solutions through the creation of the International Committee for Clean Technologies and leverage the expertise and technology gained over the years in Solar Impulse by launching new innovative projects, such as the development of solar powered drones”, it said.
“For this, Solar Impulse pilots Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg now join the elite club of pioneering aviators”.
During the 16-month-long world tour, which also started in Abu Dhabi on March 9 2015, the SI2 made stops in Oman, India, Myanmar, China, U.S., as well as some European and African countries.
“It was a project that was very hard, a lot of people doubted we could do it, so of course for the team it’s fantastic but also for all the people who believe in clean technologies”, Piccard told reporters after landing.
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.
Goggles worn over the pilot’s eyes flashed lights to wake him up while armbands worn underneath their suits buzzed when the plane was not at flying level.
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Mr Piccard, a psychiatrist, is the son of undersea explorer Jacques Piccard and a grandson of balloonist Auguste Piccard. The winning bid for the 800-megawatt phase of the project came in at an industrywide record low cost of 2.99 cents per kilowatt-hour.
