Solar Impulse - 2 completes second leg of journey, lands in Ahmedabad

Having taken off from Muscat, Oman in the morning, Solar Impulse landed in Ahmedabad at 11.25 pm on Tuesday. Pilot Bertrand Piccard flew the zero – fuel airplane across 1465km for apporximately 15 hours.

Piccard shares the pilot duties with fellow Swiss, Andre Borschbeng who completed the first leg from Abu Dhabi to Muscat, Oman. A journey of about 22,000 km.

While in Ahmedabad, several events are planned on the theme of renewable energy and sustainable development. Aditya Birla Group are playing the host to the Solar Impulse team for their India leg.  

RT "@solarimpulse: Congratulations @bertrandpiccard on this amazing flight from #Muscat to #Ahmedabad! pic.twitter.com/86DUpBWqdg"

— Aditya Birla Group (@AdityaBirlaGrp) March 10, 2015

Solar Impulse 2 stores energy in 4 lithium ion batteries to be able to fly in the night. This is the first time a solar powered plane crossed an ocean ie Arabian Sea. It is also the first time a solar plane has arrived in Asia.

The plane will stay in Ahmedabad for four days. Subsequently, the aircraft will make a stop in Varanasi before flying out of India to Myanmar.

Amazing picture by @awasthis taken at touching point while @bertrandpiccard lands in #Ahmedabad #India pic.twitter.com/ME2GW1LEvc

— SOLAR IMPULSE (@solarimpulse) March 10, 2015

The Solar Impulse mission is organised to bring world's attention to renewable energy. 

Congratulations to @bertrandpiccard from Mission Control in #Monaco. Landing 11.25pm local time, 17:55UTC pic.twitter.com/KG8DpEmvRg

— SOLAR IMPULSE (@solarimpulse) March 10, 2015

(with agency inputs)