The world’s first solar-powered plane is attempting to break all distance and duration world records for solar aviation, having already covered 6,190 km in 80 hours non-stop from Nagoya (Japan) to Hawaii (US).

At the controls, Solar Impulse 2 co-founder and pilot André Borschberg also breaks the record for the longest solo flight in history by remaining airborne for three consecutive days and nights, an accomplishment exceeding the American Adventurer Steve Fossett's flight on board Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer, who, in 2006, realized a 76 hours non-stop flight to circumnavigate the globe.

Solar Impulse 2 has so far accomplished 80 per cent of its flight to Hawaii and is intended to fly approximately 120 hours in total before landing in Honolulu.

"Can you imagine that a solar powered airplane without fuel can now fly longer than a jet plane," said Bertrand Piccard, initiator, chairman and pilot of Solar Impulse 2. "This is a clear message that clean technologies can achieve impossible goals!"

André Borschberg is still enduring human, technical and operational challenges, navigating the high tech flying laboratory alone in an unheated and unpressurised 3.8 cubic meter cockpit.
 
"The first 24 hours were very technical", said Borschberg, "but the second day was really getting me into the mission. It took me a while to create a relationship of trust with the airplane, which allows me to rest and eventually sleep by periods of 20 minutes with the autopilot. The experience of flight is so intense that I can only focus on the present moment and discover how to deal with my own energy and mindset."
 
If André's flight is successful, Bertrand will then continue this epic ocean crossing to Phoenix, Arizona (US). The journey will then take the two explorers, flying alternatively in the single-seater cockpit, across the US, the Atlantic and back to Abu Dhabi where the journey started on March 9.

The main goal of this adventure is to collect millions of voices for www.FutureisClean.org, an initiative aiming to encourage governments to replace old polluting devices by new clean technology. Green technology aims to save energy, natural resources and decrease carbon dioxide emissions in a profitable way, creating jobs and economic growth while protecting the environment. – TradeArabia News Service