Solar Impulse beats new record, but pilot 'tired'

July 03, 2015 03:55

A solar-powered aircraft flying from Japan to Hawaii on the most perilous leg of a round-the-globe bid has beaten the record for the longest solo flight, organizers said today.

But they admitted that veteran Swiss pilot Andre Borschberg is absolutely exhausted after nearly four days' continuous flying, making the final 24 hours or so of flight particularly challenging.

"UPDATE #PACIFIC: @andreborschberg is tired. W/ turbulence at 8'000 feet & a cold front close, SITUATION IS DIFFICULT," said the latest tweeted update from the mission control center (MCC) of the pioneering Solar Impulse 2 aircraft.

"#MCC #solarTEAM is working hard to assess the situation & help @andreborschberg during this stressful period."

By 1630 GMT Thursday Solar Impulse 2 had traveled 84 percent of the way to the tropical US state, having flown 6,921 kilometers with 1250 km more to go, according to the project.

So far Borschberg has flown more than 94 hours -- easily beating the previous longest solo endurance flight, by Steve Fossett who flew for 76 hours and 45 minutes in 2006. The whole trip from Japan to Hawaii was expected to take 120 hours.

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