A solar powered aircraft - Solar Impulse 2 landed in Ahmedabad on Tuesday night as part of a bid to become the first plane to fly around the world on power derived solely from the sun. The next stop of the aircraft is Varanasi, where it would stop overnight before taking off again. It has been built not just to fly around the world without an iota of fuel, but also carry a message demonstrating effectiveness of clean technologies and importance of sustainability.
The aircraft took off from Muscat (Oman) on Monday and flew over Pakistan before entering Indian airspace over the Arabian Sea towards Gujarat, an official of the Aditya Birla Group, which is hosting the flight in India, said.
"It is flying at a speed of around 60 kmph - or roughly equivalent to a scooter - under different weather conditions," the official said. Pilot Bertrand Piccard kept the aircraft close to the Pakistani coast on the 1,465km journey over the Arabian Sea to Ahmedabad from the Omani capital.
The sea legs pose the greatest challenge for the Solar Impulse team as any loss of power over the water would leave the pilot no alternative but to bail out and await rescue by boat. Much bigger crossings lie ahead as Piccard and fellow Swiss aviator Andre Borschberg, who alternate at the controls of the single-seat aircraft, traverse the great oceans.
The longest single leg will see one of them fly solo non-stop for five days and nights across the Pacific from Nanjing, China to Hawaii, a distance of 8,500km. Muscat was the first of 12 planned stops on the plane's journey around the world from Abu Dhabi, with a total flight time of around 25 days spread over five months.
Monday's maiden leg took Borschberg 13 hours and two minutes. He spoke of an "emotional" trip, telling reporters he cruised at 6,000 metres because the trip was "short".
'Flying into sustainable future'
The team hope to promote green energy with the circumnavigation attempt, which was ridiculed by the aviation industry when it was first unveiled.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon hailed the venture and congratulated the pilots. "With their daring and determination, we can all fly into a new sustainable future," his spokesman said. The pilots' native Switzerland issued a special commemorative coin to mark the launch, which is the culmination of 13 years of research and testing.
It is powered by more than 17,000 solar cells built into wings that, at 72 metres, are longer than those of a Boeing 747 and approaching those of an Airbus A380 superjumbo.
Thanks to an innovative design, the lightweight carbon fibre aircraft weighs only 2.3 tonnes, about the same as a family 4X4 and less than one percent of the weight of the A380.
The propeller-driven craft has four 17.5-horsepower electric motors with rechargeable lithium batteries. It will travel at 50-100 kilometres per hour (30-60 miles per hour), the slower speeds at night to prevent the batteries from draining too quickly.
The plane can fly on autopilot during rest breaks but both pilots have undergone intensive training to prepare them for the long solo flights.
They have learnt techniques, including yoga and self-hypnosis, to allow them to sleep for periods as short as 20 minutes but still wake up feeling refreshed.
While in the air, the pilots are linked to a control centre in Monaco where 65 weathermen, air traffic controllers and engineers are stationed. A team of 65 ground staff is travelling around the world with the two pilots.
From India the plane will head on to Myanmar, China, Hawaii and New York.
From there it will head on towards its starting point in Abu Dhabi via either southern Europe or North Africa, depending on weather conditions.
