Solar Impulse Sets Off on Grueling 5-Day Flight From Japan to Hawaii
The Solar Impulse solar-powered airplane has set off from Nagoya in Japan on its 120-hour flight to Hawaii—one the most perilous legs of its round-the-world flight.
At the start of the month the airplane attempted the trans-pacific flight—one of the most difficult on the first-ever solar powered round-the-world flight—but it had to abandon the attempt due to bad weather. This time, the team waited until the pilot Andre Borschberg was 10 hours into his flight before the communicated the attempt was underway, troubleshooting doubts and technical difficulties in the early stages of the attempt.
Now, the Solar Impulse team says that Borschberg has “passed the point of no return,” and must press on with the 120-hour flight “through to the end.” The flight leg will put the solo pilot Andre Borschberg through five days and nights of flying with only 20-minute naps for breaks, in an unpressurized cabin where temperatures vary wildly.
You can follow the progress of the flight on the Solar Impulse website.
