I've been watching the live feed of Solar Impulse 2, the solar-powered airplane attempting a round-the-world flight. Yesterday, after a two-month wait on the weather, Solar Impulse 2 took off from Nanjing, China, on their longest leg, the flight to Hawaii. This leg was expected to take six days and five nights, and the leg is being piloted by Andre Borschberg.
After more than a day and a night aloft, it was announced just before 8PM EDT that Solar Impulse 2 is now circling over the Sea of Japan, as it now appears that the favorable weather window that they had hoped for will close down by the time they arrive over the central Pacific. Solar Impulse 2 is now planning to circle for another 7 to 8 hours in place before a decision is made on further routing.
Obviously, SI2 is capable of staying aloft for many days in waiting mode, but there are limits to food and water aboard. Pilot Borschberg is using yoga techniques to keep rested and alert. If the flight is forced to divert to an airport in Japan or Korea, there is no telling how long they would have to wait for another weather window. Clearly the two-month wait in Nanjing does not bode well.
MAJOR UPDATE
At 8:05 UT (4:05 AM EDT) the decision was made to divert Solar Update 2 to Nagoya, Japan. SI2's logbook announcement is calling this a "delay" but clearly this is a major disappointment for the team. It looks like the flight will land after 36 hours in the air, which would still be the longest leg on the trip so far. The destination will be Nagoya Airfield, not the larger Chubu Airport.
Skip to the 4:00 mark in the video below for the official announcement.
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Sun May 31, 2015 at 6:11 PM PT: A live interviewy with pilot Andre Borschberg has just been completed on SI2's website. Andre is optimistic and in good spirits. For those wondering, it is currently morning over the Sea of Japan, and SI2 is recharging it batteries after last night. It would be late afternoon when the next decision point on weather is reached.
Sun May 31, 2015 at 6:53 PM PT: Video of the Andre Borschberg interview.