Smile for the camera: Bertrand Piccard takes a selfie during the latest leg of the around-the-world flight in Solar Impulse 2. The aircraft arrived in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania after more than 16 hours. EPA
Smile for the camera: Bertrand Piccard takes a selfie during the latest leg of the around-the-world flight in Solar Impulse 2. The aircraft arrived in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania after more than 16 hoShow more

Solar Impulse 2 plane lands in Pennsylvania



After a flight that lasted nearly 17 hours Solar Impulse 2 finally landed safely at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Pennsylvania, fifty miles north of Philadelphia.

Bertrand Piccard took off from Dayton, Ohio, on Wednesday after being grounded for 24 hours due to a hangar malfunction.

The 1,044 kilometres flight, which took 16 hours and 47 minutes at an average speed of 62kmh and a maximum altitude of 4,572 metres, was the latest leg of an attempt to be the first plane to fly around the world using only the power of the Sun.

Co-pilot and co-founder Andre Borschberg will now fly the plane to New York City, including a flyover of the Statue of Liberty, while Piccard prepares for the Atlantic crossing which will take place a few days later and could take up to a week.

If the weather permits, Borschberg will leave as soon as possible to complete the US crossing.

The Masdar-sponsored project began in Abu Dhabi in March 2015 and is expected to end in the capital.

newsdesk@thenational.ae