A solar-powered plane on a mission to fly around the world took a trip above the Statue of Liberty and landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport early Saturday, according to a statement from the aircraft's team.
The plane, dubbed Solar Impulse 2, touched down at JFK around 4 a.m., in an effort to become the first entirely solar-powered flight around the globe, according to the team's website. Earlier the craft departed from Lehigh Valley International Airport in Pennsylvania. The landing came after a trip to San Francisco.
"This flight marks the completion of a huge milestone in our journey around the world with Solar Impulse 2. Ending it with the flight over the Statue of Liberty is symbolic for Solar Impulse as the statue serves to welcome travellers to the country," the Solar Impulse website said.
Pilots Andre Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard are set to fly across the Atlantic, LehighValleyLive.com reported. Depending on weather, the flight plan will take the experimental aircraft to toward Europe or North Africa. The journey is set to take the plane back on the final leg of its trip to Abu Dhabi, where the flight began in March 2015.
In a statement, Port Authority Executive Director Pat Foye said the bi-state agency was "delighted" to welcome Solar Impulse 2 to JFK.
"The clean technology exemplified by Si2 demonstrates clearly that renewable energy sources are reliable and capable of helping reduce fossil fuels in air travel,'' Foye added. "This innovative aircraft is proving that continuous flight without fossil fuel is possible. Our agency applauds the work of Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg and the Si2 team."
Source :http://www.nj.com/
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