Solar Impulse To Depart Myanmar For China On March 25 (VIDEO)

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Originally published on 1Sun4All.

The fifth flight for Solar Impulse 2 (Si2) will take off from Mandalay (Mandalay International Airport, MDL/VYMD) in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, headed for Chongqing (Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, CKG/ZUCK) in the People’s Republic of China, on Wednesday, March 25, 2015, according to recent news from Solar Impulse.

The pilot will fly the solar-powered airplane for about 1,375 km (742 NM, 854 miles) and an estimated time of 20 hours. Because Bertrand Piccard landed in Mandalay in Si2, André Borschberg may pilot the fifth leg of the 35,000 km (22,000 mile) journey. Bertrand Piccard also landed in Myanmar as the Breitling Orbiter 2 ended its round-the-world attempt.

Before taking off for its 5th of 12 flights, the Solar Impulse team has been grounded while waiting for the weather to improve over China and hosting several activities, including educational learning sessions with approximately 800 university students, together with the Swiss embassy of Myanmar and host partners.

The live feed below will begin prior to takeoff and show the departure from Myanmar.

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Solar Impulse said on Twitter:

Already 4 legs are accomplished, on Wednesday 11PM UTC, we should depart for #Flight5 to #Chongqing #China! pic.twitter.com/7YzRwZRkg7

— SOLAR IMPULSE (@solarimpulse) March 20, 2015

Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg had the honor to receive a visit from Thein Sein, President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, on Friday, March 20th, when Solar Impulse announced a partnership between ABB and PACT that will bring locally produced solar power to one million people in Myanmar in the next 5 years.

The mobile hangar (pictured above) has been deployed on the ground in Mandalay. Solar Impulse said on Twitter: “It took the #solarTEAM 7 hours to fully secure #Si2 in its mobile hangar last night! #Myanmar.” The last time it was used was during the 2013 Across America mission, after the hangar provided by Lambert–St. Louis was rendered inoperable by violent storms that struck the city and the airport the weekend before Solar Impulse 1 landed.

Join us flying #RTW by adopting one of the 17,248 solar cells on #Si2! http://t.co/SjMxeSE7gN pic.twitter.com/c3lNn0ycB1

— SOLAR IMPULSE (@solarimpulse) March 20, 2015

Solar Impulse provided the following details from the last flight: Swiss pilot Bertrand Piccard safely landed this evening at 7:51 pm local time Myanmar (1:21 pm GMT) at the Mandalay International Airport with Si2 as it continues its journey around the world without a drop of fuel.

The solar aircraft departed Varanasi (India) at 5:22 am local time India (11:52 pm GMT). Before arriving at this 4th stop on the global route, André Borschberg, co-founder and CEO of Solar Impulse, was at the controls for the previous flight, which crossed India.

Flying from Varanasi (India), it took Bertrand Piccard 13 hours and 29 minutes to arrive in Myanmar. From his cockpit, just before the descent of Si2 into Mandalay, Bertrand Piccard was welcomed by a warm message from the President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, H.E. U Thein Sein, delivered by U Win Swe Tun, Director General, Department of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Transport. Piccard also spoke with Serge Pun, Chairman of First Myanmar Investment and Yoma Strategic Holdings, Si2’s Local Partner.

To promote its message of inspiration to people and governments worldwide to make a broader use of clean technologies, Solar Impulse uses its newly launched platform FutureIsClean. “We believe that renewable energies are a source of social cohesion, prosperity and peace,” declared the pilots Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, co-founders of Solar Impulse.

Video Credit: SOLAR IMPULSE | Photo Credit: #Si2 in it’s mobile hangar in Mandalay via Solar Impulse | Cartoon Credit: Martin Saive via Solar Impulse