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Solar Impulse 2: the glorious trip around the world

The adventure began with Piccard's vision that clean technologies, energy efficiency can reduce emissions, improve quality of living.

By :  R Ayyappan
Update: 2016-07-26 06:32 GMT
The adventure began with Bertrand Piccard's vision that clean technologies and energy efficiency can reduce our emissions and improve our quality of life. It led up to the attempt of the First Round-The-World Solar Flights, with in July 2015 André Borschberg's 5-day 5-night record-breaking flight from Japan to Hawaii, using only the power of the sun. Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, have set out to achieve something that still seems impossible: the First Round-The-World Solar Flight, powered only by the sun, with no fuel or polluting emissions.
Abu Dhabi: (26th July 2016) Taking turns at the controls of Solar Impulse 2 (Si2) their zero-emission electric and solar airplane, capable of flying day and night without fuel Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg succeeded in their crazy dream of achieving the first ever Round-The-World Solar Flight. By landing back in Abu Dhabi after a total of 21 days of flight travelled in a 17-leg journey, Si2 has proven that clean technologies can achieve the impossible.
Cairo: (13th July 2016) This flight brought André Borschberg on his last adventure with Si2 during this round-the-world tour, from Seville, Spain to Cairo, Egypt. This is Solar Impulse's second to last flight before arriving where we started in March 2015. André was to fly over the Mediterranean Sea, crossing the most airspaces we have so far, including Tunisia, Algeria, Malta, Italy, Greece and finally Egypt. This was an emotional flight for the Solar Impulse team.
Seville: (23rd June 2016) Bertrand Piccard achieved the first transatlantic solar and electric crossing, with zero fuel and zero emissions, after 71 hours of solar flight! Just like Charles Lindbergh, Bertrand Piccard flew across the Atlantic Ocean, but this time without a single drop of fuel. Another step closer to the completion of the first round-the-world solar flight, thanks to the aircraft André Borschberg and the Solar Impulse team built. Ending gloriously with a colourful flight formation from the Spanish Patrulla Águila, Bertrand Piccard landed in Seville at 5:38AM UTC.
New York: (11th June 2016) “On the wings of the birds, I write your name,” said the poet. By flapping the solar airplane's giant wings over the Statue of Liberty, André Borschberg did more than make the whole team's dream come true. This iconic flight added another building block to the symbol of freedom this monument has been embodying for 130 years.
Lehigh Valley: (26th May 2016) Solar Impulse was in Pennsylvania after a 16 hour solar flight from Dayton to Allentown. At the controls, Bertrand Piccard dedicated his flight to the engineers who spent hours of calculations during the previous night, in constant exchange between Ohio and Switzerland, to make sure the plane was safe and sound after the mobile hangar incident on May 24th.
Dayton: (22nd May 2016) On his way to Dayton, Ohio, hometown of Wilbur and Orville Wright, André Borschberg pays tribute to pioneering spirit, 113 years after the two brothers succeeded in flying the first power-driven aircraft heavier than air. To develop their wing wrapping concept, the two inventors used their intuition and observation of nature to think out of the box. They defied current knowledge at a time where all experts said it would be impossible.
Tulsa: (13th May 2016) Goodbye San Francisco: the heart of the Silicon Valley, where the pilots met high-profile innovators and tech entrepreneurs, explorers also devoted to changing the rules of the game. At the controls, André Borschberg reconnects with the emotions of his record-breaking oceanic flight. On his way to Phoenix, he flies over places where many pioneering ideas are developed: the SpaceX airbase and the Mojave Desert - famous for its experimental aviation stories. Solar Impulse lands in one of the states with the highest penetration of solar energy. A solar state welcoming a futuristic airplane.
Phoenix: (03rd May 2016) It took 48 hours to adapt to unpredictable weather across the US, devise multiple new strategies to cross the country, scout out and find a host airport, empty an entire hangar to house the 72 meters of our solar wings, organize the arrival of our team and reunite everyone in an organizational whirlwind. All this was successfully accomplished to welcome a silent, serene, zero-fuel airplane, confident in its unlimited autonomy, to the runways of Tulsa, the “black gold” capital of Oklahoma.
San Francisco: (24th April 2016) It took Amelia Earhart 18 hours to fly solo from Hawaii to California. It took Bertrand Piccard 62:29 hours to follow her footsteps but without fuel, 81 years later, completing the Pacific crossing initiated by the record-breaking flight of André Borschberg. A flying symbol during Earth Day, broadcasted live with Ban Ki-moon and 175 leaders at the UN, Solar Impulse touches down at the heart of Silicon Valley, land of NASA astronauts Bertrand met in his childhood, who inspired him to become an explorer.
Hawaii: (03rd July 2015) Following a historic first for aviation as well as for renewable energies, the Solar Impulse 2 of Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg will need to undergo a replacement of its overheated batteries and stay in Hawaii until next spring. Meanwhile, we need our supporters to continue to develop the Future Is Clean initiative and raise millions of voices in favor of the implementation of clean technology worldwide. Bertrand Piccard will take over and bring the aircraft to North America.
Nagoya: (01st June 2015) Solar Impulse 2 took off from Nanjing to see \"the moment of truth\": to prove that a solar airplane can fly day and night without fuel. André Borschberg took off with Solar Impulse from Nanjing on Sunday 31 (2:39am local time) in what was the first oceanic, exploration, solar flight to Hawaii in order to show to the world that the #futureisclean. He will attempt a flight that will be 5 times as long as the previous ones, flying 5 days and 5 nights without leaving the cockpit. Unfortunately, the flight was cut short after 44 hours and 9 minutes because the weather deteriorated on day 2, with a cold front that would block his path on the 5th day.
Nanjing: (21st April 2015) Solar Impulse 2 took off for its sixth flight from Chongqing (China) to Nanjing (China) on Tuesday April 21st at 06:06 local time. After a 17:22 hour flight powered only by solar energy, he landed in Nanjing, the departure point for the Pacific Crossing. This flight, supported by Schindler, is crucial and has prepared the team for the most crucial leg: the Pacific Crossing. This will finally prove to the world that there are no limits to flying with solar power and that we can fly day and night without a single drop of fuel!
Chongqing: (30th March 2015) Bertrand Piccard was at the controls of Si2 for the fifth flight of the Round-The-World tour from Mandalay to Chongqing. It was a particularly challenging leg as he had to fly over the Burmese mountains and land despite the strong wind on the runway. It is the first time a solar airplane lands in China, and he and André Borschberg want to show the Chinese that if they are able to fly an airplane day and night with no fuel, then they can use the same technologies on the ground to save natural resources.
Mandalay: (19th March 2015) It was Bertrand Piccard, initiator and chairman, who was at the controls of Solar Impulse 2 for this fourth part of the First Round-The-World Solar Flight. He left Varanasi, India, only a few hours after André Borschberg, CEO and co-founder, had landed, and set off to Mandalay early morning. During the flight, he beat Si2's own speed record by flying at 216 km/h, and flew over the beautiful Bay of Bengal. He landed in Myanmar, for the third time in his life, and received a wonderful musical and colorful welcome.
Varanasi: (18th March 2015) Varanasi, the spiritual capital of India, the holiest of the seven sacred cities in Hinduism. The communication team gets into position to cover the event live, and as the sun rises in the Ahmedabad sky, drawing beautiful hues, so does Si2. This is why it has such an important spiritual dimension for André. Let's also mention that it's one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world!
Ahmadabad: (10th March 2015) After an 11-hour pit-stop in Muscat, Oman, the attempt of achieving the First Round-The-World Solar Flight continued onwards to India. Bertrand Piccard, initiator and chairman, piloted Solar Impulse 2 from Muscat to Ahmedabad, India, flying across the Arabian Sea and parts of Pakistan. He was welcomed by thousands of enthusiastic and curious Indian locals, who came to see Si2 in its tent.
Muscat: (09th March 2015) Taking off from Abu Dhabi on their first part of the journey, their message has been clear: demonstrate the potential clean technologies have for energy saving and renewable energy production. André Borschberg took off from Abu Dhabi, crossing the first international frontier, and landed in Muscat, Oman 13 hours later.
The adventure began with Piccard's vision that clean technologies, energy efficiency can reduce emissions, improve quality of living.

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