Pages

Friday 29 July 2016

Around the world in 505 days



From the endlessly fawning BBC

The first round-the-world solar powered flight has been completed, after the Solar Impulse aircraft touched down in Abu Dhabi.

Bertrand Piccard piloted the plane for a final time, steering it safely from the Egyptian capital Cairo to the UAE.

He has been taking turns at the controls with Swiss compatriot Andre Borschberg, with the mission aiming to promote renewable energy.

6 comments:

Scrobs. said...

I've never thought what a solar-powered bummery would be like, until now...

Barnacle Bill said...

I once did a circum-navigation of the globe in eleven months and twenty-two days!

Admittedly I did have various floating objects following behind me on the end of a towline for the majority of that trip.

Sam Vega said...

"The future is clean. The future is you. The future is now. Let's take it further,'' Mr Piccard said, arriving into Abu Dhabi to cheers and applause."

In fact, let's take it further by circumnavigating the globe via the poles, rather than hugging the equator.

That's what I'd call "taking it further". Maybe next year, Mr. Piccard?

Demetrius said...

Were there any problems with boozy passengers?

Anonymous said...

Don't think there will be a big market for this.

A K Haart said...

Scrobs - a slow bummery too.

Bill - if you had been solar powered you could still have some way to go.

Sam - for that one he'll need huskies in the team too.

Demetrius - passengers? What are they?

Roger - stunt enthusiasts with very deep pockets, but that's it.