Image of the Day: Fuel-less, solar-powered plane touches down, completes coast-to-coast journey

For the first time in the history of aviation, a plane capable of flying day and night powered only by solar energy has crossed the entire continental United States. The image above shows André Borschberg, co-founder and CEO of Solar Impulse, landing the aircraft at New York’s JFK airport on Sunday, July 6 at 11:09 p.m. EDT.

The touchdown concluded a journey that started in San Francisco, California on May 3rd. 

It took Solar Impulse 105 hours and 41 minutes to fly the 3,511 miles between both cities. During the journey, the plane averaged a speed of 28.8 kt.

The last leg of the journey was not without its trials and tribulations, though. “This last leg was especially difficult due to the damage of the fabric on the left wing. It obliged the team to envisage all the possible scenarios, including bailing out over the Atlantic,” said Borschberg. 

“But this type of problem is inherent to every experimental endeavor,” he added. “In the end, this didn’t prevent us from succeeding in our Across America mission and provided an invaluable learning experience in preparation for the round-the-world tour in 2015.”

Prior to reaching its east coast destination, the plane made pit stops in Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth, St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Washington D.C. 

The purpose of these pit stops was to organize public viewings as well as political meetings, with the topic of discussion being focused on clean technologies, energy efficiency, and renewable energies.

Dr. Bertrand Piccard, Solar Impulse Initiator and Chairman, who also shared piloting duties with Borschberg during the plane’s journey across the States, reflected on the importance of what the company has just achieved: “Flying coast-to-coast has always been a mythical milestone full of challenges for aviation pioneers. During this journey, we had to find solutions for a lot of unforeseen situations, which obliged us to develop new skills and strategies. In doing so, we also pushed the boundaries of clean technologies and renewable energies to unprecedented levels.”

A bevy of events are scheduled in and around the New York City area to celebrate Solar Impulse’s achievement. Afterwards, the team will return to their home in Switzerland.