Solar Impulse, a Swiss long-range solar-powered aircraft, departed from Myanmar’s Mandalay International Airport this morning attempting the most challenging flight since having started the Round-The-World journey, to reach Chongqing (China).

The anticipated 19 hours of flying time and 1,375 km of distance covered will be physically demanding for Solar Impulse pilot Bertrand Piccard, due to the prolonged use of oxygen required in the unpressurised cockpit, in which Bertrand Piccard will face temperatures descending to minus 20 degrees celsius, said a statement.
 
The flight will be demanding with respect to the steep ascent and limited time allowed for high altitude preparation as Solar Impulse 2 (Si2) will fly over mountains at the beginning of the flight, it said.

Si2 is subsequently expected to remain at a flying altitude of roughly 7,300 m during the majority of the flight.
 
The solar powered aircraft is anticipating entering Chinese airspace six hours after take-off and once in China, the weather forecast is mainly clear skies – a rare situation in the region.

However, strong, low level winds up to 40 knots are expected in Chongqing, which will require the pilot to tackle these challenging conditions.
 
André Borschberg will continue onward to Nanjing (China) after Bertrand Piccard completed the leg to Chongqing. It is possible that the mission director, Raymond Clerc, gives the green light for a take-off to Nanjing just a few hours after arrival in Chongqing.The decision will depend on the amount of energy remaining in the batteries after landing.

The mission team does not yet know if there will be sufficient charge in the batteries to allow for a ‘pitstop,’ that is, a take-off from Chongqing just a few hours after arrival because one solar cell was damaged during our stay in Mandalay, and the capacity to capture solar energy has been reduced by two per cent.



During the coming months, Piccard and Borschberg will cross the Pacific Ocean and stop in the US, Northern Africa or Southern Europe before returning to Abu Dhabi to complete its circumnavigation of the world.

Swiss pilots, Piccard (initiator and chairman) and Borschberg (co-founder and chief executive officer), will continue their journey, travelling 35,000 km around the globe accumulating 500 flight hours over five months to spread the message that clean technologies can be achieved through a pioneering spirit. - TradeArabia News Service