Solar-Powered Plane Finishes Pacific Journey

A solar-powered plane is reported to have landed in California on Saturday following a three-day dangerous flight across the Pacific Ocean, with an aim of travelling around the world.  

The solar-powered plane Solar Impulse 2 landed in Mountain View in San Francisco's Silicon Valley South at 11:45 in the evening after a 62-hour, continuous solo flight by Bertrand Piccard without fuel. The plane was moved slowly into a large tent built on Moffett Airfield where the pilot was welcomed by the team, according to Washington Post.

The Solar Impulse 2's landing came a few hours following Piccard's fly-by performance over the Golden Gate Bridge while the spectators watched the small aircraft from below. Piccard and his fellow Swiss pilot Andre Borschberg are reported to have been flying the plane alternately on an around-the-world journey since taking off from Abu Dhabi in March 2015. The trip made stops in Myanmar, Oman, Japan, China and Hawaii.  However, the trans-Pacific leg was reported to be the most dangerous of the plane's global journey due to the lack of emergency landing areas.

The Solar Impulse 2's ideal flight speed is 28 mph, although it can double during the day, while it weighs more than 5,000 pounds. The aircraft's wings that are stretched wider compared to those of the Boeing 747, have 17,000 solar cells, powering propellers and charge batteries. Based on Yahoo report, the plane is being run on stored energy at night,

Solar Impulse 2 is expected to make three more stops in the US prior to reaching the Atlantic Ocean to Europe or Northern Africa, as mentioned in a website that documents the journey.

This solar-powered plane project started in 2002 and is expected to cost more than $100 million, highlighting on the significance of renewable energy as well as the concept of innovation.

However, solar-powered plane travel is not yet considered for commercial flights, considering the weight and weather concerns of the aircraft, including the plane's slow travel time.