Listen live as solar airplane crosses US

press.solarimpulse.com

The Solar Impulse, a solar powered airplane that Swiss pilots Bertrand Piccard and Andre’ Borschberg hope to fly around the world without using fuel, is crossing the United States.  The airplane is flying today from Dallas to St. Louis using only the energy of the sun for propulsion.  The flight can be watched live on the internet at the SolarImpulse.com.  The team plans to land in St. Louis in the early morning hours of June 4.

 

The plane was disassembled and transported to Moffet field in Mountain View, Calif. earlier this year.  From California, the Solar Impulse began its journey across America on May 4.  The first leg consisted of a flight from Moffet field to Phoenix Sky Harbor airport in Arizona, a distance of approximately 550 nautical miles.  The Solar Impulse made the trip in 18 hours and 18 minutes for an average speed of about 40 miles per hour.  The average altitude was 10,000 feet, but the plane flew as high as 21,000 feet on its trip to Phoenix.  The 18 hour 21 minute leg from Phoenix to Dallas took place on May 22.

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