Solar Impulse due to continue pioneering flight to Morocco tomorrow

The solar powered aircraft, which will soon be attempting a round-the-world flight has been using the flight as a test programme while at the same time participating in celebrations around the construction activities in the Ouarzazate region of what will be the world’s largest thermo-solar power plant. Of a capacity of 160 MW, the plant is part of Morocco’s energy plan whose goal is to build, by 2020, five solar parks with the capacity of 2000 megawatts, reducing CO2 emission of 3,7 million tons.

The Solar Impulse team said it supports this pioneering project which is in line with its own message and its philosophy of renewable energies.

The first leg of the trip from Switzerland to Spain, was completed by pilot André Borschberg, now Bertrand Piccard  takes over the controls to complete the mission to complete of flying for over 2,500km without a drop of fuel. The aircraft will take-off from the Madrid-Barajas airport and climb to an altitude of 11,000ft (3,600 metres) toward Seville. The HB-SIA will then cross the Gibraltar strait over the Mediterranean at an altitude of 26,000ft (8,500m) at around  16:00UTC entering Moroccan airspace via Tangier for Rabat. 

Official events for youth and adult audiences, seminars and conferences organized by MASEN will take place throughout the week in Rabat. Although the flight has been confirmed, the flight director may still decide to postpone it or alter the route up to a short time before takeoff.

If you are interested in following the progress of this pioneering flight, then you can follow the aircraft in real time on www.solarimpulse.com.