Amazing Facts

Solar Impulse

Flight Report: Madrid - Rabat

TAKE-OFF TIME: 05:22 (UTC+2) 05.06.12

LANDING TIME:  23:30 (UTC+1) 05.06.12

FLIGHT DURATION: 19 H 8 MIN

AVERAGE GROUND SPEED: 51,8 KM/H

HIGHEST ALTITUDE REACHED: 8’229 M (27’000 FT)

FLIGHT DISTANCE: 830 KM

Bertrand Piccard inside HB-SIA

HB-SIA landed in Morocco’s Rabat-Salé international airport at 23:30 (UTC+1) after 19 hours of flight becoming the first solar powered flight to trvel between two continents.
The Solar Impulse team was thus completing a leg of the 2012 "Crossing the Frontiers" Mission.The main reason tovchoose Morocco as its destination is to flyover the Strait of Gibraltar which is a challenge.
Talking of Strait of Gibraltar, it connects Atlantic ocean to Meditteranean sea and separates Spain from Morroco (Africa) and the narrowest portion separating Europe and Africa is just 7.7 Nautical miles of sea.
The flight took off from Madrid airport and after a successful 9hour 18 min journey, it landed in Rabbath airport, the capital of Morocco.
The mission was led by pilot and project founder,Bertrand Piccard whom UNEP nominated for 2012  Champions of the Earth Laureate Award.

Landing  video of HB-SIA in Rabat

For more :  http://solarimpulse.com/