This morning at 7:15 a.m. the first attempted round-the-world flight in an exclusively solar-powered airplane began. The Swiss plane departed from Abu Dhabi. Although the Solar Impulse 2's voyage was delayed for 45 minutes, following a postponed departure date, co-pilot and founder of Solar Impulse Bertrand Piccard remained optimistic.
“It’s a relief because we have been working so hard to start this adventure, and now finally the airplane is in the air, and we are now in the dream," Piccard told Gulf News .
With the initiative of raising awareness about alternative renewable and efficient energy sources, the circumnavigation of the world will have 12 legs and end in July. The first scheduled stop is Oman, a journey that should last about 10 hours. Less than a day later, the adventure will continue as the plane heads onward to India.
Andre Borschberg, another founder of Solar Impulse, will fly the first leg of the journey alone, and meet Piccard in Oman to continue the trip. The plane is scheduled to land around 7 p.m. this evening. Borshberg and Piccard will alternate pilot duties throughout of the expedition.
“Once you know who starts and who finishes you know roughly who does which leg, its a logic of repetition afterwards,” Piccard said to the National . “At the end, its the team and the story of friendship."
The flight from Oman to India will take approximately 18 hours, the longest distance ever attempted by the plane. Solar Impulse 2's performance on this second leg of the journey will be observed closely to predict the success of the remaining voyage.
Eighteen hours is just a fraction of the time required for longer segments. The final two stops of the trip – New York to Europe/North Africa and Europe/North Africa to Abu Dhabi – are expected to take approximately 120 hours to complete.
Masdar, a subsidiary of Mubadala Development Co, an Abu Dhabi company specializing in renewable energy, has been supporting the project. Masdar also supported the first-ever solar car race in Abu Dhabi this January .
"We go with the spirit and friendship with Masdar, towards a vision with a future of renewable energies, and clean technologies,” Piccard said to Gulf News .
The airplane is anticipate to fly at a speed of 25 knots (46 kph), with its ground-speed increasing with higher altitude. During the day the plane will remain around 28,000 feet and settle around 5,000 feet while flying during the night. Solar batteries, which will charge during the day, will keep the plane in the air overnight. Over 17,000 solar cells power the aircraft.
Although the significantly slower speed of Solar Impulse 2 will likely deter solar technology from powering commercial aircraft in the near future, the endeavor intends to raise awareness about clean and renewable technologies.
Initially the idea was ridiculed by the aviation industry, but today and over the course of the next few months, Piccard and Borschberg plan on proving them wrong. We can't help but root for these friends on this truly epic adventure.