Solar plane to resume round-the-world flight

WASHINGTON, April 1, (AFP): The Solar Impulse 2 solar-powered plane is set to resume its recordbreaking flight around the world next month, leaving Hawaii when weather permits, a spokeswoman told AFP on Thursday.

“The first possible departure from Hawaii to reach the US West coast is on April 15,” she said, adding that location of the first stop on the US mainland has yet to be determined.

The experimental aircraft was grounded in July, when its solarpowered batteries suffered problems halfway through its 21,700-mile (35,000-km) trip.