Solar Impulse Gets Special Welcome in Spain

Solar Impulse Si2 has completed the transatlantic 15th leg, the second most challenging of the all-solar-powered round-the-world flight, landing early this morning in Seville, Spain. Bertrand Piccard, the initiator of the ambitious project, completed the 71-hour leg, which began at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.

During his marathon flight, Piccard broke a few world records, which have already been submitted to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI – the World Air Sports Federation) for examination. The records are for distance and duration specific to electric and solar-powered airplanes.

Piccard’s flight also included several special moments. He had a chance to chat with a fellow aviation pioneer, Richard Branson. Branson broke a speed record in 1986 while crossing the Atlantic in a sailboat, Virgin Atlantic Challenger II, and also flew the Virgin Atlantic Flyer, a hot air balloon, across the Atlantic in 1987. Branson was part of a team that attempted to circumnavigate earth in a hot air balloon, but his team was beat out by Piccard’s team, which flew the Breitling Orbiter 3 around the world nonstop in 1999 – a flight that lasted nearly 20 days.

At the conclusion of the transatlantic flight in Si2, Piccard was saluted by Patrulla Aguila (the Eagle Patrol), a seven-ship formation team from the Spanish Air Force flying Casa C-101 Aviojets. The team flew in formation near the Si2 and let out its trademark red-and-yellow smoke trail, creating quite a contrast against the zero-emissions airplane. A couple of Eurofighter Typhoons also greeted the Si2 and helped keep Piccard awake as he slowly made his way to the Seville Airport.