Solar Impulse 2 completes short hop to Pennsylvania

The Swiss-made solar plane Solar Impulse 2 (Si2) with Swiss adventurer Bertrand Piccard in the pilot seat landed safely in Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He arrived earlier than expected after 16 hours and 47 minutes on 26 May at 02:49 CET (12:49 UTC on 26 May, 21:49 Local Time on 25 May). This flight marks the completion of the fourth leg of their US journey and 13th leg of the total circumnavigation bringing the aircraft to New York City’s doorstep.

Solar Impulse 2 rose from the Dayton International Airport tarmac on 25 May at 10:02 CET (08:02 UTC, 04:02 Local Time). According to the Solar Impulse Team it was important to leave early as clouds were expected to follow the path of the aircraft during the first part of the flight. The Lehigh Valley boasts one of the largest solar panel installations in Pennsylvania and is a leading producer of solar and other renewable energy in the region.

The aircraft was temporarily grounded for 24 hours for additional checks in Dayton, Ohio, as project officials checked for possible damage after fans that keep the mobile hangar inflated had a power failure.

Co-founder André Borschberg will fly Si2 from Pennsylvania to New York, the last stop in the US, performing a flyover of the iconic Statue of Liberty, while Bertrand Piccard is preparing to cross the Atlantic Ocean to Europe or northern Africa in order to return to the final destination in Abu Dhabi (UAE) where the voyage started in March 2015.

As there are eight live cameras positioned in the cockpit, on the wings and in the Mission Control Center one can be with the pilot and the engineers throughout the flights and share the solar flight experience live through the Solar Impulse website on www.solarimpulse.com/rtw.

Photo Credit: Solar Impulse