A first time attempt to fly around the world in a solar powered plane starts in Abu Dhabi.
The aircraft, Solar Impulse-2, which is only as heavy as a family car weighing in at 5,100 pounds and wingspan as wide as the largest passenger airliner, took off from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates en route to the Omani capital Muscat.
The journey of 22,000 miles was organised in order to bring the world’s attention to sustainable energy – the cruise itself will last a total of five months.
“Solar Impulse wants to mobilise public enthusiasm in favour of technologies that will allow decreased dependence on fossil fuels, and induce positive emotions about renewable energies,” said the mission website.
Andre Borschberg, and fellow Swiss, Bertrand Piccard, will be partaking pilot duties in controlling the single-seater as it travels from continent to continent and crosses the Pacific and Atlantic oceans in the procedure.
Mr Piccard, who too made the first non-stop tour of the world in a balloon in 1999, said: “Miracles can be achieved with renewables such as solar power. We want to show we can fly day and night in an aircraft without a drop of fuel.
The journey will take approximately 25 flight days broken up into 12 legs at speeds between 30 to 60 mph. The studies, design and construction which led to this project took 12 years in total.
Solar Impulse-2 will make stop-offs in India, Myanmar and China prior to crossing the Pacific Ocean and flying across the United States and southern Europe to arrive back in the land the journey started from, Abu Dhabi.