An airplane whose only power is provided by the sun's rays was recently able to complete a very dangerous and risky 3-day flight over the Pacific Ocean in its overall goal of encircling the planet.
The pilot, Bertrand Piccard, finally landed his Solar Impulse 2 in San Francisco, California, particularly in the Silicon Valley, at exactly 11:45 p.m., Saturday, April 23. This is after a grueling 62-hour non-stop solo flight from Hawaii, without using a single drop of conventional fuel.
Impulse 2 taxied into a big tent that was built on Moffett Airfield where the pilot was greeted by the team that took charge of the project.
"You know there was a moment in the night, I was watching the reflection of the moon on the ocean and I was thinking 'I'm completely alone in this tiny cockpit and I feel completely confident,'" said Piccard at a news conference after his landing.
"And I was really thankful to life for bringing me this experience. It's maybe this is one of the most fantastic experiences of life I've had," he added.
His solar airplane has a wingspan of a Boeing 747, but weighs only as light as an ordinary SUV. It has flown over the Golden Gate Bridge before touching down in Silicon Valley. This was a great achievement to the project team considering the many obstacles they have to overcome in this pioneering solar airplane circumnavigation of the world.
I'm very happy that everything works extremely well and the airplane is functioning as it should," said Andre Borschberg, Piccard's business partner and the second pilot told CNN through a phone interview from California, before the successful landing.
"It's a demonstration that the tech is reliable," he enthused.
Piccard landed the Impulse 2 a few hours after he executed a fly-by-over the Golden Gate Bridge as spectators witness the wide but narrow airplane with extended wings from below.
"I crossed the bridge. I am officially in America," boasted Piccard as he enjoyed the spectacular views of San Francisco Bay.
