United States

Solar Impulse 2 Leaving Bay Area Monday Following Extended Stay

The Solar Impulse 2 will be leaving the Bay Area Monday morning following an extended stay in the Bay Area due to weather concerns. 

The solar plane, which is in the midst of a trip around the world, will take off from Moffett field for a 16-hour flight headed to Phoenix, Arizona.

Crewmember Elke Neumann said crosswinds in Phoenix had been too high for the plane's expansive 236-ft wingspan to bear, giving the team cause to stay in the Bay Area a little longer than they had planned. The team was planning on taking off on Friday. 

All told, the plane and its crew spent a week in the Bay Area after making a 3-day flight from Hawaii across the pacific. The pilot, Andre Borschberg, spent a whopping 62 hours straight inside the small cockpit during the journey. 

Solar Impulse 2 will make three more stops in the U.S. before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Europe or Northern Africa. 

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