International News

SAN FRANCISCO, (APP/AFP): Solar Impulse 2, an experimental
aircraft flying around the world to draw attention to clean energy technologies, is to take flight again on Monday, organizers said.
Pilot Andre Borschberg will take off at 12:00 GMT (5:00AM PT) taking
advantage of a “clear weather window” for him to fly from the Mojave Desert to Phoenix Goodyear Airport in Arizona — an effort that should take about 16 hours, they said.
The plane has been in California for a week since crossing the
Pacific to land in Mountain View. Swiss adventurer Bertrand Piccard piloted the craft from Hawaii to California.
Piccard, who has been alternating the long solo flights with teammate
Borschberg, has handed over to his teammate who will pilot Solar Impulse across the United States and to New York.
The mission aims to promote the use of renewable energy, with an
aircraft powered by 17,000 solar cells.
The plane’s wingspan is wider than that of a jumbo jet but its weight
is roughly the same as a family car.