Solar plane circles globe in first for
clean energy
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[July 26, 2016]
By Stanley Carvalho
ABU DHABI (Reuters) - A solar-powered
aircraft successfully completed the first fuel-free flight around the
world on Tuesday, returning to Abu Dhabi after an epic 16-month voyage
that demonstrated the potential of renewable energy.
The plane, Solar Impulse 2, touched down in the United Arab Emirates
capital at 0005 GMT (0405 local time) on Tuesday.
It first took off from Abu Dhabi on March 9, 2015, beginning a journey
of about 40,000 km (24,500 miles) and nearly 500 hours of flying time.
Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg, the Swiss founders of the
project, took turns piloting the aircraft, which has a wingspan larger
than a Boeing 747 but weighs no more than an average family car.
"More than an achievement in the history of aviation, Solar Impulse has
made history in energy," Piccard, who piloted the plane on the last leg,
told a large crowd on landing.
"I’m sure that within the next 10 years we’ll see electric airplanes
carrying 50 passengers on short- to medium-haul flights," he said in a
statement.
He said the technologies used on Solar Impulse 2 could be used on the
ground in daily life to halve emissions of carbon dioxide, the main
greenhouse gas blamed for climate change.

The propeller-driven aircraft's four engines are powered by energy
collected from more than 17,000 solar cells built in the wings. Excess
energy is stored in batteries.
Unfavorable weather at times hindered smooth flying, causing the plane
to be grounded for months in some countries. In all, the plane had 16
stopovers.
The pilots also had to demonstrate the mental stamina required to tackle
vast distances alone at a cruising speed of no more than 90 km (56
miles) per hour and altitudes of up to 9,000 meters (29,500 feet).
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Pilots Andre Borschberg (L) and Bertrand Piccard celebrate after
their arrival on Solar Impulse 2, a solar powered plane, at an
airport in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates July 26, 2016.
REUTERS/Stringer

"We were facing the oceans... We had to build up this mindset, not
just the plane and technology," Piccard told reporters.
For the two pilots, landing back where they started is only "the
beginning of the continuation" of a longer journey, said Piccard,
who in 1999 became the first person to circumnavigate the globe
non-stop in a hot air balloon.
Aside from continuing to promote renewable energy, they plan to
launch an international council to advise governments and develop
new applications for clean energy technology.
(Reporting by Stanley Carvalho, editing by Sami Aboudi and John
Stonestreet)
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