Milestone in world of aviation
Solar plane lands in Hawaii after record-breaking flight
KAPOLEI (Hawaii): A plane powered by the sun’s rays landed in Hawaii after a record-breaking fiveday journey across the Pacific Ocean from Japan.
Pilot Andre Borschberg and his single-seat aircraft landed at Kalaeloa, a small airport outside Honolulu. His nearly 118-hour voyage from Nagoya broke the record for the world’s longest non-stop solo flight, his team said. The late US adventurer Steve Fossett set the previous record of 76 hours when he flew a specially-designed jet around the globe in 2006.
But Borschberg flew the Solar Impulse 2 without fuel. Instead, its wings were equipped with 17,000 solar cells that powered propellers and charged batteries. The plane ran on stored energy at night.
The trans-Pacific leg was the riskiest of the plane’s global travels as there was nowhere for it to land in an emergency.
The engineless aircraft landed in silence, the only sound the hum of a nearby helicopter. About 200 people, including the media, witnessed the touchdown shortly before 6am.
Later in the morning, Borschberg called the flight an extraordinary experience, saying it marked historical firsts for aviation and for renewable energy.
“Nobody now can say that renewable energies cannot do the impossible,” he said. The most challenging part of the journey was when he and fellow Swiss co-pilot Bertrand Piccard had to decide when exactly to leave Japan.
“You don’t know if it’s feasible. You don’t know if it’s possible. You don’t know if you are going to lose the airplane,” he said.
Borschberg, who did yoga up to 45 minutes daily to counter the effects of immobility and stay fit, remained in the plane for about an hour after landing before finally emerging. Before exiting, he was approached by customs personnel who asked to see his passport. Some in the waiting crowd waved Swiss flags, and dignitaries shook his hand. A troupe of young hula performers sang a welcoming song.
The plane’s ideal flight speed is about 28mph (45kph) though that can double during the day when sun’s rays are strongest. The carbon-fibre aircraft weighs over 5,000 pounds (2,267kg) or about as much as a minivan or mid-sized truck.
Borschberg and Piccard have been taking turns flying the plane on an around-the-world trip since taking off from Abu Dhabi in March. After Hawaii, the plane will head to Phoenix and then New York. Piccard will make the flight to Phoenix, organisers said in a press release.
The project, which began in 2002 and is estimated to cost more than US$100mil (RM377.8mil), is meant to highlight the importance of renewable energy and the spirit of innovation. — AP