Solar Impulse 2

Solar Impulse 2 was the first aircraft to fly around the globe powered only by the sun. Piloted by Bertrand Piccard, Solar Impulse 2 touched down at 04:05 to a rapturous reception at Al Bateen Executive Airport in the UAE capital on July 26, 2016, returning to the city where its historic adventure began. Solar Impulse 2 took off from Abu Dhabi in March 2015, with stopovers in Oman, India, Myanmar, China, Japan, the United States, Spain and Egypt. Over the course of its journey, the aircraft set no fewer than 19 world records, including the world's longest solar-powered flight in terms of both time (117 hours, 52 minutes) and distance (8,924km).

It completed more than 500 flight hours, cruising at altitudes of up to 9,000 metres with average speeds of between 45km/h and 90km/h.

play-button

watch video