Round-the-world solar plane headed to India

Abu Dhabi/Ahmedabad, March 9: Under watchful eyes, a solar-powered Swiss airplane on Monday took off from the UAE and headed to Muscat, Oman from where it will cross the Arabian Sea to land in Ahmedabad in India as part of its round-the-world journey using zero fuel. The Solar Impulse 2 (Si2), piloted by Andre Borschberg of Switzerland, took off from UAE’s Al-Bateen airport at 7.12 a.m. Co-pilot Bertrand Piccard will fly the plane, powered by 17.5 horsepower electric motors with rechargeable lithium batteries, from Oman to Ahmedabad, where it will make a stop over on Tuesday.

Piccard and Borschberg will take turns flying the single-seater experimental solar aircraft which can fly with perpetual endurance. Origilly scheduled for take-off on Saturday, the Si2 was delayed due to high winds.

Capable of flying over oceans for several days and nights in a row, the Si2 will travel 35,000 km around the world in 25 days over the course of roughly five months. It will pass over the Arabian Sea, India, Myanmar, Chi and the Pacific Ocean.

During the 12 scheduled stops, the Solar Impulse team and its partners will organise public events for governments, schools and universities.

After making a landing in Ahmedabad, the aircraft’s founders and pilots Piccard and Borschberg are likely to stay in the city for a couple of days before leaving for Varasi in Uttar Pradesh, a press release said, adding the duo will reach out to governments, NGOs, universities and schools to spread the message of clean technologies. (IANS)