Two Swiss pilots will attempt to take their solar-powered aircraft
around the globe, to demonstrate the promise of clean energy and would
stop over at India also, among various countries, during the flight.
Swiss
pilots Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg will take off from Abu
Dhabi in February-end or early March for what would be the first
round-the-world flight without using a drop of fuel and their journey
would take them to Ahmedabad and Varanasi in India.
Their
aircraft, Solar Impulse 2 (Si2), will fly 35,000 km day and night at
speeds of between 50 and 100 kmh in a journey over 25 days.
The cockpit will be unpressurised with only one seat for one pilot, adding to the challenge of the endeavour.
According
to the flight details unveiled at a function here Tuesday, there will
be 12 stops en route, which, apart from the two stops in India will also
include those at Muscat (Oman), Mandalay (Myanmar), and Chongqing and
Nanjing (China).
After crossing the Pacific Ocean via Hawaii, the Si2 will fly across the US mainland, stopping in Phoenix and New York City.
A
third stopover in the Midwest will be decided according to weather
conditions. After crossing the Atlantic, the final legs include a stop
in southern Europe or North Africa before arriving back in Abu Dhabi.
Said
Bertrand Piccard, initiator and chairman of Solar Impulse: "With our
attempt to complete the first solar powered round-the-world flight, we
want to demonstrate that clean technology and renewable energy can
achieve the impossible."
During the stopovers, the Solar Impulse
team will organise meetings, airplane visits and Google Hangouts in
order to promote the mission's message and highlight innovative
technical solutions to climate change. In doing so, Solar Impulse hopes
to foster an interest in clean energy amongst youth, industry
professionals and government representatives seeking to implement
ambitious energy policies.
“We want youth, leaders, organisations
and policymakers to understand that what Solar Impulse can achieve in
the air, everyone can accomplish here on the ground in their everyday
lives. Renewable energy can become an integral part of our lives, and
together, we can help save our planet's natural resources," Piccard
added.
The daring venture is supported by Masdar, the UAE's
pioneering initiative towards clean energy, and some private companies
including Solvay, Omega, Schindler, ABB, Altran, Bayer, Google, Swiss
Re Corporate Solutions and Swisscom.
Sultan bin Ahmed Sultan Al
Jaber, Minister of State and Chairman of Masdar, said: "Masdar and the
Emirate of Abu Dhabi are proud to host the departure, and hopefully
(the) safe arrival of Solar Impulse and its pilots, as they dare to fly
round the world using only the power of the sun."
"Solar Impulse
is a demonstration to prove the impossible can be possible, and that
innovation knows no boundaries. As a leader delivering sophisticated
renewable energy projects around the world, Masdar is a natural partner
for such an innovative endeavour, which underscores the viability of
solar technology," he added.
Andre Borschberg, Solar Impulse
co-founder and CEO, said, "Solar Impulse is not the first solar
airplane, however it is the first able to cross oceans and continents,
remaining in the air for several days and nights in a row without
landing. But now we have to ensure the sustainability of the pilot in
order to complete the route; Solar Impulse 2 must accomplish what no
other plane in the history of aviation has achieved, flying without fuel
for 5 consecutive days and nights with only one pilot in the
unpressurised cockpit."
Ahead of the adventure, the Si2 team and
pilots will spread their message in Abu Dhabi, engaging with industry
representatives, youth and aspiring engineering students.
