Solar Impulse 2 #RTW Test Flight In Abu Dhabi Brings Stunning Image
“I want to be really very clear, I am much more afraid to live in a world that burns 1 million tons of oil and coal every hour that destroys the planet and pollutes the environment, rather than to fly in a solar-powered airplane.” –Bertrand Piccard.
“On Al Bateen Executive Airport, welcomed by our Host Partner Masdar, the engineers and mission team have been preparing the departure of the First Round-The-World Solar Flight. Excitement, focus, tension; discover the story of this intense preparation under the burning Arabian sun,” writes the Solar Impulse team.
It is finally time for #Si2 to fly from Abu Dhabi! The solar aircraft made a maintenance flight early this morning, directly followed by André Borschberg’s first training flight. More flights will take place in the coming days, so that all requirements for the approval by the authorities are fulfilled before taking off to attempt the #RTW.
#Si2 will take off for its first flight from Abu Dhabi (Al Bateen Executive Airport, AUH/OMAD) in the United Arab Emirates to Muscat (Muscat International Airport, MCT/OOMS) in the Sultanate of Oman. The pilot will fly the zero-fuel airplane about 400 km (215 NM) for an estimated time of 12 hours.
Before taking off for its second flight from Muscat (OOMS) in the Sultanate of Oman to Ahmedabad (VAAH) in the Republic of India, the #Si2 team will perform a “pit stop.” It will also be the opportunity to reach out to governments, NGOs, universities and schools to spread Bertrand Piccard’s and André Borschberg’s message about clean technologies.
The pilot is yet to be determined for the flight from Abu Dhabi to Muscat.
The Solar Impulse team has released its new website, created especially for the Round-The-World attempt, and it’s worth checking out.
Be part of history by making a donation to the Solar Impulse Foundation by adopting a Solar Cell on #Si2! It will help finance the educational activities of Solar Impulse and you will join the ranks of the aircraft’s Patrons (Richard Branson, James Cameron, Paolo Coelho…) and other innovators who already took this step. You can even offer one to your friends and relatives!
You can also gear up at the very cool Solar Impulse Online Store.
Photo Credit: First ever #Si2 test flight in Abu Dhabi, Revillard, Rezo.ch via Solar Impulse
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