Solar Impulse Postpones July 3rd Flight

The return flight over the Strait of Gibraltar has been postponed until further notice due to unexpected strong high and middle altitude winds. Solar Impulse's HB-SIA prototype, piloted by Bertrand Piccard, was meant to take-off from Rabat-Salé International airport (Morocco) July 3, 2012, reconnecting Africa to Europe. The Flight Director made this decision after a final debriefing session in Payerne (Switzerland) with the Solar Impulse Mission team.

The intercontinental leg of the Africa to Europe journey has been deferred due to an unexpected degradation in the meteorological conditions. The medium and high altitude winds have unexpectedly shifted, triggering the Mission team to revise their strategy.

Given HB-SIA’s specificities and its prototype status, wind speed and turbulence cannot exceed a predefined safety limit. The Flight Director and his team have come to the conclusion that it is safer to wait for more favorable weather conditions and have therefore postponed the Rabat to Madrid flight until further notice.

solarimpulse.com