Solar Impulse 2, the world’s first solar airplane capable of flying day and night without a drop of fuel, left Lehigh Valley International Airport, Pennsylvania, late yesterday evening and landed at John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York, early this morning, after circling the Statue of Liberty.
@ Solar Impulse
André Borschberg, a former Swiss military pilot , touched down at JFK International Airport on 11 June at 3:59am local time The flight took 4 hours and 41 minutes, and included a circuit around the Statue of Liberty. Arrival in New York marks the completion of the journey across the US.
“We received very positive and heartwarming responses during our journey through the United States, because it’s a country of pioneers and explorers,” said Bertrand Piccard, Initiator and Chairman. “It’s amazing to see to what extent people understand not only what we do, but also why we do it: to show that if we all used the same clean technologies as Solar Impulse on the ground we could create jobs, enhance profits and boost economic growth, while also protecting the environment.”
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“There is such a strong culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the United States, and we have felt this spirit every step of the way, be it technological innovation in the Silicon Valley, or aviation pioneering in Dayton, the home of the Wright brothers where they invented the airplane,” said André Borschberg, CEO and Co-Founder. “Among other things, arriving in New York by flying around the Statue of Liberty represents the entrepreneurial freedom that is so specific to this country.”
The flight from Pennsylvania to New York was the 14th leg of the team’s round-the-world journey. The next challenge will be crossing the Atlantic.
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