In a journey that evoked those of aviation pioneers Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart, Swiss pilots Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg early this month began the first leg of their historic flight across the United States using a solar-powered airplane.
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Called the Solar Impulse, the solar-powered airplane was manned by Piccard from Moffet Airfield at NASA’s Ames Research Center in San Francisco to the Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, Arizona. This was the start of the five-leg ‘2013 Across America’ mission or the first solar flight across the United States, with Piccard and Borschberg alternating at the cockpit for each leg.
Piccard was inspired by his grandfather, August Piccard, who is recognised with Charles Knipfer for conducting the first flight into the stratosphere in a balloon.
He realised, after doing the first round-the-world balloon flight in 1999 with Brian Jones, that exploits in the 21st century will take some preservation. He wanted to navigate the world without fuel and emissions.
Solar Impulse is the result of this idea. Together with Jones, Borschberg and sports marketing specialist Luiggino Torrigiani, they founded the company Solar Impulse SA, which spearheads solar aviation research and development and scientific partnerships.
The solar plane, with a wingspan of a Boeing 747 at 63.4m and the weight of a small car of about 1,600 kg, is built with 12,000 solar cells that provide four 10-horse power electric motors with renewable energy. It is capable of flying both day and night.
For the first leg of the flight, it took 18 hours and 18 minutes to get to its destination. Total distance travelled was 1,203 kilometres with an average ground speed of 65.5 km per hour.
With this flight, the two Swiss pilots simultaneously launched the Clean Generation initiative. The movement is a worldwide campaign calling for more investment and support for innovative technologies using and producing sustainable energy.
According to the founders, by flying Solar Impulse they hope to restart the drive for scientific exploration and encourage people to become pioneers.
Supporters can join the movement by signing up online. Their names will be brought along by Piccard and Borschberg during the flight by means of a USB key. The aim is to have the list increase with every leg of their journey.
For the first leg, Piccard was virtually with 14,212 people while travelling.
The next and third leg of the mission will also take place this month, from Phoenix to Dallas, and Dallas to St Louis, Missouri. The fourth leg will occur by middle of June from St Louis to Washington DC, and the final part of the journey will end on the east coast, landing at the JFK International Airport in New York.
For those interested in the Clean Generation Initiative and to follow the first solar-powered air travel across the US, click here.
