Solar Impulse set for Himalayas leg

The team behind the round-the-world flight of the solar-powered Solar Impulse 2 plane has had to deal with unrest in Myanmar and inclement weather in preparing for the next leg of its voyage.

MANDALAY, MYANMAR // Political unrest and inclement weather are two of the challenges that the Solar Impulse 2 team is preparing for on the upcoming leg of its round-the-world flight.

From Mandalay, the solar-powered plane was set to take off at 1am on Monday to Chongqing, China.

Pilot Bertrand Piccard said during the estimated 20-hour flight, the high altitudes needed to soar over the Himalayas could mean temperatures as low as -20°C in the cockpit.

“I’m not flying over Everest, but it will be the eastern part of the Himalayas,” said Mr Piccard.

In addition to the frigid conditions, the Solar Impulse team has been advised to change its proposed route over northern Myanmar because of political unrest in the region.

But any change in flight path would require permission from China, said Raymond Clerc, Solar Impulse mission director.

He said the weather in China was also creating issues in planning the next stage of the trip.

The crew is also having to consider Chongqing airport’s proximity to a major urban centre, and dealing with an expected influx of spectators eager to witness the plane landing. The combination of factors has forced officials to consider a stopover somewhere between Mandalay and Chongqing.

To take advantage of the conditions, Mr Clerc said the plane could set off from Chongqing as early as Wednesday, where it will head to Nanjing.

“We will have a bad weather situation over China for at least one week. We are trying to find a safe solution,” he said.

A decision will be made after landing in Chongqing, he said.

On arrival in Mandalay, the plane had travelled 4,771 kilometres, or 13 per cent, of its journey round the world.