This morning, Andre’ Borschberg and Bertand Piccard revealed the potential route for Solar Impulse’s Across America mission in a press conference at Moffett Airfield in Mountain View, California.
The airplane is fully reassembled after being brought to America on a Boeing 747. Test flights will begin March 30th, and a technical flight “to test the aircraft’s mission readiness” for the coast-to-coast flight will take place March 30th.
HB-SIA will leave Moffett Field, California on May 1 and head east, with several stops on its way to New York. Weather will help determine dates and actual route.
According to the Solar Impulse project, “The voyage will start in San Francisco on May 1st with stopovers in Phoenix (Arizona), Dallas (Texas), Atlanta (Georgia) or St. Louis (Missouri) on its way to Washington D.C. and New York City. The exact dates for each leg are undefined, as weather conditions play a factor in our flights.”
The team promises, “Finally, we wanted to let you know that the Solar Impulse team is working very hard to open the hangar doors to all supporters and enthusiasts that wish to see the airplane. Working out the logistics is challenging due to security considerations at our host airports, but stay tuned for updates!”
For those who can’t be on hand to witness the tour, the Solar Impulse project will stream live videos on their web site and post the latest news on their Twitter or Facebook pages.
Project supporters can purchase this year’s or previous years’ badges to commemorate the program
Readers can show their support for the project by purchasing badges, with the latest celebrating this year’s coming Across America tour. See the Supporters’ Page on Solar Impulse’s web site.