Swiss solar plane will try 48-hour flight to Morocco

http://www.thelocal.ch/2964/20120328/

The Swiss sun-powered aircraft Solar Impulse will attempt to fly from Switzerland to Morocco in coming weeks, in its longest flight to date, organisers said on Wednesday.

"After its inaugural flight to Paris and Brussels in 2011, Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg's solar airplane will attempt, for the first time ever, to fly over 2,500 km without using a drop of fuel, finally landing in Morocco," said the project in a statement.

Piccard and Borschberg will take turns to pilot the plane during the 48-hour journey, with a stopover near Madrid expected for the swap.

The trip, expected for May or June, would be a rehearsal in the run-up to the plane's round-the-world flight planned for 2014.