Solar Impulse 2 Takes Off From Moffett Field For Phoenix
By NBC Bay Area staff ••
The Solar Impulse 2 left Moffett Field in Mountain View early Monday morning before the sun came up following an extended stay in the Bay Area due to weather concerns. Now, the solar plane, which is in the midst of a trip around the world, is headed off on a 16-hour flight to Phoenix, Arizona. Bob Redell reports.
The Solar Impulse 2 left Moffett Field in Mountain View early Monday morning before the sun came up following an extended stay in the Bay Area due to weather concerns.
Now, the solar plane, which is in the midst of a trip around the world, is headed off on a 16-hour flight to Phoenix, Arizona. The plane took off at 5:04 a.m. It travels at about 47 miles per hour. The plane's whereabouts can be tracked live on the SolarImpulse website.
Piccard Bertrand
Co-pilot Piccard Bertrand taking a selfie on board Solar Impulse 2 during a test flight over the Pacific Ocean. April 9, 2016
AP
Solar Impulse 2 flies over San Francisco, April 23, 2016. The solar-powered airplane arrived from Hawaii after a three-day journey across the Pacific Ocean.
AP
Solar Impulse 2 flies over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, April 23, 2016.
AP
Solar Impulse 2 flies over San Francisco, April 23, 2016. The solar-powered airplane, which is attempting to circumnavigate the globe to promote clean energy and the spirit of innovation, arrived from Hawaii after a three-day journey across the Pacific Ocean.
Solar Impulse
Solar Impulse 2 pilots Bertrand Piccard and Andre' Borschberg successfully flew the solar-powered aircraft, Solar Impulse 2, which landed in Mountain View on April 24, 2016.
AP
Solar Impulse 2 flies over San Francisco, April 23, 2016. The solar-powered airplane, which is attempting to circumnavigate the globe to promote clean energy.
Piccard Bertrand
Solar Impulse 2 flies above the clouds. April 23, 2016
Solar Impulse
Solar Impulse 2, safely lands on the Moffett Field runway. April 24, 2016
Solar Impulse
The Solar Impulse 2 soars above Mountain View, ready for landing. April 24, 2016
Solar Impulse
The crew watches the Solar Impulse 2 landing in Mountain View. April 24, 2016.
Solar Impulse
Google CEO Larry Page visits Solar Impulse pilot Piccard Bertrand and Pilot/CEO of Solar Impulse Andre' Borschberg. April 23, 2016
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Solar Impulse 2's hangar at Moffett Field. April 23, 2016
Solar Impulse
Solar Impulse 2 parks inside a hangar. at Moffett Field. April 24, 2016
Solar Impulse
Solar Impulse 2 flies above the Golden Gate Bridge. April 23, 2016
Solar Impulse 2 soars over the Bay Area. April 23, 2016
NBC Bay Area
"Solar Impulse 2", a solar powered plane piloted by Swiss adventurer Bertrand Piccard, took off from Moffett Field in Mountain View headed for Phoenix.
Solar Impulse 2
Solar Impulse 2 Pilot Andre Borschberg takes off from Moffett Field en route to Phoenix. May 2, 2016
The journey for the 5,100-plane is historic because it's powered by 17,248 solar cells on the winds and is on a mission to be the longest endurance flight - and the first solar-powered one - across the Pacific Ocean.
On Sunday, crewmember Elke Neumann said crosswinds in Phoenix had been too high for the plane's expansive 236-ft wingspan to bear, giving the team cause to stay in the Bay Area a little longer than they had planned. The team was planning on taking off on Friday.
All told, the plane and its crew spent a week in the Bay Area after making a three-day flight from Hawaii across the pacific. The pilot, Andre Borschberg, spent a whopping 62 hours straight inside the small cockpit during the journey.
Solar Impulse 2 will make three more stops in the U.S. before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Europe or Northern Africa.
