Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


               Solar Plane Crosses Pacific, Arrives in California

   by VOA News

   A solar-powered plane has reached the U.S. Pacific Coast state of
   California after completing the riskiest leg of its journey around the
   world - a 56-hour flight over the Pacific Ocean.  The flight was
   dangerous because there were no emergency landing sites.

   The Solar Impulse 2 flew over San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge
   Saturday to the delight of many spectators.

   It is expected to remain aloft Saturday until midnight when winds
   decrease, landing at Moffett Airfield in Silicon Valley.

   Pilot Bertrand Piccard said landing in Silicon Valley will help link
   the plane's journey around the world to the pioneering spirit of the
   area.

   "Can you imagine crossing the golden Gate Bridge on a solar-powered
   plane, just like ships did in past centuries? But the plane doesn't
   make noise and doesn't pollute," said Piccard in a live video feed from
   the plane.

   The plane also moves very slowly at 45 kilometers per hour, double that
   when the sun's rays are strongest.

   Solar Impulse 2 will fly across the continental U.S. to New York before
   crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Europe or North Africa before arriving
   back in Abu Dhabi, where the flight originated in March 2015.

   The carbon fiber single-seat Solar Impulse 2  has a 72-meter wingspan,
   which is longer than the wingspan of a Boeing 747, and weighs about as
   much as an automobile.  The 17,000 solar cells built into the wings
   harness the sun's energy and charge onboard batteries.

   The project is the brainchild of Swiss aviator Piccard and fellow pilot
   Andre Borschberg, who are alternating each leg of the historic flight.
   The duo say they are aiming to demonstrate that alternative energy
   sources and new technologies can achieve what some consider impossible.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/solar-plane/3300228.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/solar-plane/3300228.html