ABU DHABI // Anticipation is building over whether Solar Impulse 2 will finally take off from Egypt to Abu Dhabi in the final leg of its historic round-the-world fuel-free flight.
The sun-powered plane has been grounded in Cairo since it landed there on July 13. It was due to take off last week but the flight was suspended last minute due to poor weather and pilot illness.
But as co-pilot Bertrand Piccard appears to have bounced back to health and favourable weather conditions are on the horizon, Solar Impulse is tentatively scheduled to depart for its final flight at 3am on Sunday UAE time.
"The MCC [Mission Control Centre] team has identified a weather window that could allow us to overcome the challenging high temperatures across Saudi Arabia and hopefully land in Abu Dhabi after 48 hours," the crew wrote on solarimpulse.com.
“For this, however, we need to be able to take off from Cairo! Conditions are tricky with winds challenging Si2’s limitations on the runway. We are therefore getting ready for an attempt but there is a risk that we will need to postpone the flight at the last minute.”
Solar Impulse, which began its journey in Abu Dhabi in March last year, has flown to 16 destinations around the world.
“After experiencing the most humanly challenging flight last year with André’s [Borschberg, the other co-pilot] five day and night flight, this leg will definitely be the most technically challenging on this round-the-world mission,” the MCC wrote. “Our provisional take-off from Cairo, Egypt, to Abu Dhabi, UAE, will be at 11.00PM UTC on July 23 and 1:00AM CEST, 7:00PM EDT on July 24. We are likely to have to adapt timings - so, as always with Solar Impulse, stay on your toes.”
A live stream of the flight, along with daily programming, can be viewed at solarimpulse.com.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
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The five pillars of Islam
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
The Old Slave and the Mastiff
Patrick Chamoiseau
Translated from the French and Creole by Linda Coverdale
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Top 5 concerns globally:
1. Unemployment
2. Spread of infectious diseases
3. Fiscal crises
4. Cyber attacks
5. Profound social instability
Top 5 concerns in the Mena region
1. Energy price shock
2. Fiscal crises
3. Spread of infectious diseases
4. Unmanageable inflation
5. Cyber attacks
Source: World Economic Foundation
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How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5