Solar Impulse 2 Pacific Ocean flight waiting for clear weather

Solar Impulse 2, the first aircraft to attempt to circumnavigate the globe using only solar energy for fuel, is waiting for a weather window to take off for the first attempt to cross the Pacific ocean, from Nanjing to Hawaii, using only solar power.

Andre Borschberg will fly the zero-fuel airplane on about 8,172km (4,412NM) for an estimated five days and nights. This flight across the Pacific is a feat of endurance for the pilot, and for the support teams that constantly monitor and plan for Si2's route.

Swiss explorers Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg are the founders, pilots and driving force behind Solar Impulse, the first airplane of perpetual endurance, able to fly day and night without a drop of fuel.

By attempting the first Round the World Solar Flight, they want to demonstrate that clean technologies and renewable energies can achieve the impossible. For the Solar Impulse team, pioneering spirit and innovation can change the world.

The Round-The-World flight started from Abu Dhabi, on March 9. The route included stop-overs in Oman, India, Myanmar and China. After trying to cross the Pacific Ocean via Hawaii, Si2 will fly across the USA and then the Atlantic Ocean, heading back to Abu Dhabi.

Unfortunately, due to worsening weather situation increasing risks to the flight from Nanjing to Hawaii, the Flight Mission team decided against taking off on May 25.

The trend of unstable weather in the Pacific has taken a turn for the worse. A combination of factors put the flight at risk, including cloud levels reducing charging capacity, and considerable holding and loitering times to get through the front, which may force a 7-day flight on the team, pushing the pilot to extremes.

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