Live streaming of Solar Impulse 2 landing in China to complete the latest leg of its zero-fuel round the world flight captivated an online audience tracking its progress.
The journey, which lasted about 17 and a half hours, ended when project co-founder and co-pilot Bertrand Piccard touched down safely in the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing, at about 7.30pm UAE time.
Nanjing, in Jiangsu province, is one of China’s most populated cities, about 1,200 kilometres from Chongqing, where the solar powered aircraft took off on its sixth flight in its attempt to circumnavigate the globe.
Mr Piccard replaced chief engineer and co-pilot Andre Borschberg for the flight, after he became ill.
Mr Borschberg waited for his friend alongside a crowd and Mr Piccard’s wife and daughter, for the plane to land at Nanjing Lukou International Airport, at 11.30pm local time.
The flight went better than expected, with the plane reaching a height of 14,000 feet to avoid turbulence.
Mr Borschberg tweeted: “Enjoying the #LIVE broadcast before @bertrandpiccard landing after 17hrs of #solar flight. I could not be happier, congratulations my friend.”
The Chinese authorities closed the airport, allowing Mr Piccard to choose the runway best suited for landing.
The city’s strategic location, close to the Pacific Ocean, will allow the most thorough preparation before the team heads to Hawaii on their most challenging flight.
The team will wait for a window during which they can take off on the first zero-emissions flight across the Pacific.
The plane will fly at a maximum 120kph. The pilot, living in the non-pressurised cockpit for up to a week, will have to withstand temperatures of up to -20°C at 15,000 feet.
Mr Borschberg has been preparing for the upcoming leg by practising yoga and doing breathing exercises to cope with sleep deprivation and limited opportunities to nap during the non-stop flight.
The Solar Impulse 2 began its journey in Abu Dhabi on March 9 on its first leg to Muscat. The project is supported by Masdar as strategic partners in the capital.
nalwasmi@thenational.ae
* Additional reporting by Nick Webster
