A Swiss solar-powered plane took off from Abu Dhabi early this morning, marking the start of the first attempt to fly around the without fossil fuel.

Over the next five months, the Solar Impulse will cover 12 legs over its trip, flying from the Middle East to India, Myanmar, China, US, Europe and North Africa before heading back to Abu Dhabi.

André Borschberg, founder of the Solar Impulse, was at the controls of the plane when it took off from the Al Bateen Executive Airport. Borschberg will trade off pilot duties with co-founder Bertrand Piccard during stopovers.

The aim of the Swiss pilots is to create awareness about replacing old technologies with clean and efficient technologies.

The plane is expected to reach Muscat, Oman – its first destination – after approximately 10 hours of flight.

A revolutionary single-seater aircraft made of carbon fibre, the Solar Impulse has a 72 meter wingspan and weighs just 2,300 Kg, equivalent to that of a car. The plane has 17,000 solar cells built into the wing which will supply four electric motors (17.5 CV each) with renewable energy. During the day, the solar cells recharge lithium batteries weighing 633 Kg (2077 lbs.) which allow the aircraft to fly at night and therefore to have virtually unlimited autonomy.

It has taken twelve years for Piccard and Borschberg to be able to finally attempt to make their dream a reality - demonstrating the importance of renewable energy conceived through a pioneering spirit and innovation.

The plane will fly at 50 to 100 km, meaning continuous hours of flying, especially over the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, which would take five or six straight days of solo flying.

The two pilots are expected to return to Abu Dhabi in late July or August.

The Solar Impulse will travel 35,000 km around the world with 12 scheduled stops, where the Solar Impulse team and its partners will organise public events for governments, schools and universities.

A live telecast of the flight will be available on the Solar impulse website: https://www.solarimpulse.com/leg-1-from-Abu_Dhabi-to-Muscat.

Speaking at the #FutureIsClean movement launched yesterday (March 8) in support of the use of clean energy, the Swiss founders said they want to push politicians, celebrities and private citizens to “confront the Conference on Climate Change of the United Nations, which will define the new Kyoto protocol in December 2015 in Paris.

UAE-based Masdar, the Abu Dhabi government's clean-energy company, is a key sponsor of the flight. Other sponsors include Omega, Goggle and Moet Hennessey, among others. – TradeArabia News Service