Solar Impulse 2 plane takes off from Hawaii to California -- with no fuel

Source: CNN

Solar Impulse 2 plane takes off from Hawaii to California -- with no fuel

By David Molko, CNN
Updated 1736 GMT (0036 HKT) April 21, 2016

(CNN)- An experimental plane trying to fly around the world without a single drop of fuel took off from Hawaii on Thursday, resuming a journey that had stalled on the island of Oahu for almost 10 months.

The Solar Impulse 2, piloted by Swiss explorer and psychiatrist Bertrand Piccard, lifted off just before sunrise to cheers and applause.

It will head for the San Francisco Bay area, some 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles) away. And because the plane travels at about the same speed as a car, the Hawaii-California leg will take about 62 hours to complete.

"It's a very stable weather window," Solar Impulse spokeswoman Alexandra Gindroz said.

That forecast will be a relief for Piccard and his business partner, Swiss engineer Andre Borschberg, who take turns flying the plane solo.

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]

Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/04/21/travel/solar-impulse-2-plane/