Swiss adventurer Bertrand Piccard, who made the first non-stop balloon flight around the world is planning to do the same thing with a solar powered plane. While Solar Impulse, as the plane is being called, is only a conceptual design at this point, the plan is for a 2010 launch. The round the world trip will take place in five stages, each of which will last three to five days. It will fly from west to east and between 10° and 30° north of the Equator to take advantage of the prevailing winds and sunlight. Solar Impulse will be flown by three pilots over the course of its journey - Piccard, the President and initiator of the project; Brian Jones, responsible for the sustainable development programme; and André Borschberg from Switzerland, the Solar Impulse Chief Executive Officer.
Solar plane
