ABU DHABI // Solar Impulse 2 landed in safely in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Friday, completing the 11th leg of its round-the-world flight using only solar energy.
Piloted by Swiss co-founder Bertrand Piccard, the 1,570-kilometre leg took 18 hours and 10 minutes.
It was the project’s third mission flight this year after crossing the Pacific Ocean from Hawaii to California, and then from San Francisco to Phoenix, Arizona.
The take-off date and destination for leg 11 were kept secret from the project’s international followers.
“Until two days before take off, our engineers had not even considered flying to Oklahoma due to its tornado potential,” a statement on the project website read. “They were originally considering a flight from Phoenix, Arizona to Kansas City, Missouri, however due to difficult weather conditions over the plains in the state of Kansas, we had to find a different solution.”
“Back on the ground after a zero-fuel 18-hour flight! Hello Tulsa, Oklahoma, I’m eager to discover this new region,” Mr Piccard said on his Twitter account.
Abdullah Al Saboosi, the consul general from the UAE Consulate in Los Angeles, and Emirati students were at Goodyear Airport for the take-off.
(via The National)
