André Borschberg took off for his last flight on the adventurous trip around the world in a solar airplane at 06:20 CET, (04:20 UTC, 00:20 Local Time) today, 11 July 2016 from Seville International Airport (ESP) to Cairo International Airport (EGY). André's flight time is expected to last approximately 50 hours and 30 minutes, before he is handing over the command to alternate pilot Bertrand Piccard, who will conduct the last flight to the finish line in Abu Dhabi (UAE).
Today's takeoff is the beginning of the 16th leg and the penultimate flight of Solar Impulse 2's attempt to circumnavigate the world entirely on solar power, which began in March 2015. The previous flight took the experimental aircraft from JFK airport in the United States to Seville for the first solar-powered transatlantic flight after bad weather prevented landing at the primary destination of Paris.
According to Solar Impulse, Borschberg will fly over the Mediterranean Sea, including the airspaces of Tunisia, Algeria, Malta, Italy, and Greece, before reaching Egypt.
André can be followed live: www.solarimpulse.com
Photo Credit: Solar Impulse