The Solar Impulse 2 will remain in Myanmar before flying to Chongqing, China, later this week.
The plane arrived in Mandalay from Varanasi, India, on Thursday.
President Thein Sein received the team, including co-founders and pilots, Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg, in Myanmar on Friday.
The team will prepare for the next leg of the flight as they wait for the weather to clear, ensuring safer passage into China.
The flight will test the plane’s — and Mr Borschberg’s — tolerance to extreme weather. The high-altitude route runs parallel to the Himalayas, meaning temperatures in the cockpit could drop to -20°C.
During their time in Mandalay, the pilots will visit schools and universities, and speak to officials to spread their message of creating a clean energy future.
They plan to fly to China on Wednesday, but a definite date has not been set due to less-than-ideal weather conditions.
nalwasmi@thenational.ae
