May 3, 2013
Mission Kick-Off
Are you ready to be part of the adventure? Because the historic solar-powered crossing of the United States is about to begin!
SolarImpulse over San Francisco
Bertrand will pilot this first leg of the 2013 Across America mission while André will undertake the last one, Washington D.C. to New York City. With Bertrand at the commands, HB-SIA will take off from Moffett Airfield around 6 am PDT (UTC-7) on Friday May 3rd and land at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix (AZ) sometime after midnight PDT (UTC-7).
The solar airplane will fly southbound, west of Yosemite National Park, above Fresno and Bakersfield. He will then veer westward toward Palmdale and Barstow, over the Mojave National Preserve in the direction of Phoenix.
The kick-off of the mission will also act as the launching of a global initiative - “Clean Generation” - to promote clean technologies. Pilots André and Bertrand will carry a USB key with them in the cockpit throughout the mission with all the names of Solar Impulse supporters. The goal is to encourage this global movement of change-makers to grow, raising awareness along the way about what can be done with innovative technologies for sustainable economic growth.
Across America 2013: Golden Gate Flight
Don't forget to watch the Solar Impulse TV that brings you all the most exciting news about mission flights LIVE directly on our homepage. Also, if you want to stay informed throughout the crossing and have your name virtually travel from California to New York, sign up today to become a Supporter!
As with all mission flights, pilots André and Bertrand will be tweeting from the ground and from the air: follow them directly on their Twitter accounts @ André and Bertrand or simply Solar Impulse.
Final itinerary revealed!
Solar Impulse’s 2013 Across America itinerary is now official!
Moffett Airfield (Mountain View, CA)
Sky Harbor International Airport (Phoenix, AZ)
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (Dallas, TX)
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (St. Louis, MO)
Dulles International Airport (Washington D.C.)
John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York City)
Across America 2013 itinerary
We’ve all been touched by the incredible welcome the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and different airport authorities have given us in the United States. In fact, before we started organizing the mission, we were afraid we wouldn’t find airports ready to welcome our unique aircraft. To our surprise, it was exactly the opposite! This has obliged us to better evaluate our needs and decide accordingly.
The most difficult choice was our third stopover, which was torn between St. Louis (MO), Atlanta (GA) and Nashville (TN). For various reasons, including one very historical one, St. Louis was elected as the official third stopover. The Spirit of St. Louis, piloted by Charles Lindbergh, was the first aircraft to successfully undertake the crossing of the Atlantic, New York to Paris, in 1927. The 3,600 mile flight (5’800 km) started from Roosevelt Field on New York’s Long Island to Le Bourget Field in Paris. Although the aircraft was built in San Diego, it got its name in honor of the St. Louis Raquette Club - who financed the construction of the aircraft - and because it was Lindbergh’s residence at the time.
It looks like the next possible date for the kick-off of the 2013 Across America mission could be this Friday, May 3rd! Weather conditions permitting, the flight would take off from Moffett Airfield to Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix (AZ). It will be an early departure, most likely before 6 am local time (UTC-7) with a landing after midnight local Phoenix time (UTC-7).
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Images, Video, Text, Credit: SolarImpulse.
Greetings, Orbiter.ch
