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| Solar Impulse: Zero-fuel plane lands in Cairo | Solar Impulse: Zero-fuel plane lands in Cairo |
| (7 days later) | |
| The Sun-powered aircraft Solar Impulse has finished its penultimate flight, landing in Egypt's capital, Cairo. | The Sun-powered aircraft Solar Impulse has finished its penultimate flight, landing in Egypt's capital, Cairo. |
| It took off from the Spanish city of Seville at 04:20 GMT on Monday, taking just over 48 hours to make the trip. | It took off from the Spanish city of Seville at 04:20 GMT on Monday, taking just over 48 hours to make the trip. |
| The zero-fuel aircraft is now in the home straight of its bid to circumnavigate the globe. | The zero-fuel aircraft is now in the home straight of its bid to circumnavigate the globe. |
| Its final stop is Abu Dhabi, where the challenge began in March 2015. The two pilots sharing flying duties are each taking one more turn at the controls. | Its final stop is Abu Dhabi, where the challenge began in March 2015. The two pilots sharing flying duties are each taking one more turn at the controls. |
| Andre Borschberg did the Seville-Cairo stage, soaring over the pyramids and the Sphinx at Giza before landing. | Andre Borschberg did the Seville-Cairo stage, soaring over the pyramids and the Sphinx at Giza before landing. |
| "The final approach to Cairo was a bit tough but I made it," he tweeted. | "The final approach to Cairo was a bit tough but I made it," he tweeted. |
| Bertrand Piccard will complete the challenge by taking Solar Impulse back into the United Arab Emirates in the next few days, depending on the weather. | Bertrand Piccard will complete the challenge by taking Solar Impulse back into the United Arab Emirates in the next few days, depending on the weather. |
| Towards the end of the flight, it was the first time the plane's battery levels had gone under 30%, mission managers said. | Towards the end of the flight, it was the first time the plane's battery levels had gone under 30%, mission managers said. |
| They organised to land in Egypt, where they were greeted by the country's ministers of aviation and energy, in the morning when the winds and temperatures were most favourable. | They organised to land in Egypt, where they were greeted by the country's ministers of aviation and energy, in the morning when the winds and temperatures were most favourable. |
| Before taking off from Seville International Airport, Mr Borschberg said he inevitably felt the emotion of making his last journey in the plane. | Before taking off from Seville International Airport, Mr Borschberg said he inevitably felt the emotion of making his last journey in the plane. |
| "It's meaningful obviously because it's my last flight in this round-the-world epic. I've started to think about it. I'm happy that we get close to the end but also prudent knowing that it is not done yet. I have to stay really focussed." | "It's meaningful obviously because it's my last flight in this round-the-world epic. I've started to think about it. I'm happy that we get close to the end but also prudent knowing that it is not done yet. I have to stay really focussed." |
| The penultimate leg crossed seven countries, negotiating some very busy air routes. | The penultimate leg crossed seven countries, negotiating some very busy air routes. |
| The slow-moving plane also had to take account of a number of military operations in the Mediterranean/North Africa region. | The slow-moving plane also had to take account of a number of military operations in the Mediterranean/North Africa region. |
| For Mr Piccard, reaching Egypt is an important milestone for the project he founded. | For Mr Piccard, reaching Egypt is an important milestone for the project he founded. |
| It was in the North African nation that he landed 17 years ago in Breitling Orbiter 3 - the first balloon to make a non-stop, round-the-world flight. | It was in the North African nation that he landed 17 years ago in Breitling Orbiter 3 - the first balloon to make a non-stop, round-the-world flight. |
| "We arrived there with so little fuel left - you know, the propane gas you have to burn in your envelope to stay airborne. I landed there with less than 1% of our reserves, and I was really scared to fall short of gas before the end. And that's when I said I want to fly around the world again but with no fuel," the Swiss adventurer said. | "We arrived there with so little fuel left - you know, the propane gas you have to burn in your envelope to stay airborne. I landed there with less than 1% of our reserves, and I was really scared to fall short of gas before the end. And that's when I said I want to fly around the world again but with no fuel," the Swiss adventurer said. |
| Mr Piccard and Mr Borschberg have been working on the Solar Impulse project for more than a decade. | Mr Piccard and Mr Borschberg have been working on the Solar Impulse project for more than a decade. |
| Their plane is wider than a 747 jumbo jet but weighs just 2.3 tonnes, which poses some unique challenges: | Their plane is wider than a 747 jumbo jet but weighs just 2.3 tonnes, which poses some unique challenges: |
| LEG 1: 9 March. Abu Dhabi (UAE) to Muscat (Oman) - 772km; 13 Hours 1 Minute | LEG 1: 9 March. Abu Dhabi (UAE) to Muscat (Oman) - 772km; 13 Hours 1 Minute |
| LEG 2: 10 March. Muscat (Oman) to Ahmedabad (India) - 1,593km; 15 Hours 20 Minutes | LEG 2: 10 March. Muscat (Oman) to Ahmedabad (India) - 1,593km; 15 Hours 20 Minutes |
| LEG 3: 18 March. Ahmedabad (India) to Varanasi (India) - 1,170km; 13 Hours 15 Minutes | LEG 3: 18 March. Ahmedabad (India) to Varanasi (India) - 1,170km; 13 Hours 15 Minutes |
| LEG 4: 18 March. Varanasi (India) to Mandalay (Myanmar) - 1,536km; 13 Hours 29 Minutes | LEG 4: 18 March. Varanasi (India) to Mandalay (Myanmar) - 1,536km; 13 Hours 29 Minutes |
| LEG 5: 29 March. Mandalay (Myanmar) to Chongqing (China) - 1,636km; 20 Hours 29 Minutes | LEG 5: 29 March. Mandalay (Myanmar) to Chongqing (China) - 1,636km; 20 Hours 29 Minutes |
| LEG 6: 21 April. Chongqing (China) to Nanjing (China) - 1,384km; 17 Hours 22 Minutes | LEG 6: 21 April. Chongqing (China) to Nanjing (China) - 1,384km; 17 Hours 22 Minutes |
| LEG 7: 30 May. Nanjing (China) to Nagoya (Japan) - 2,942km; 1 Day 20 Hours 9 Minutes | LEG 7: 30 May. Nanjing (China) to Nagoya (Japan) - 2,942km; 1 Day 20 Hours 9 Minutes |
| LEG 8: 28 June. Nagoya (Japan) to Kalaeloa, Hawaii (US) - 8,924km; 4 Days 21 Hours 52 Minutes | LEG 8: 28 June. Nagoya (Japan) to Kalaeloa, Hawaii (US) - 8,924km; 4 Days 21 Hours 52 Minutes |
| LEG 9: 21 April. Kalaeloa, Hawaii (US) to Mountain View, California (US) - 4,523km; 2 Days 17 Hours 29 Minutes | LEG 9: 21 April. Kalaeloa, Hawaii (US) to Mountain View, California (US) - 4,523km; 2 Days 17 Hours 29 Minutes |
| LEG 10: 2 May. Mountain View, California (US) to Phoenix, Arizona (US) - 1,199km; 15 Hours 52 Minutes | LEG 10: 2 May. Mountain View, California (US) to Phoenix, Arizona (US) - 1,199km; 15 Hours 52 Minutes |
| LEG 11: 12 May. Phoenix, Arizona (US) to Tulsa, Oklahoma (US) - 1,570 km; 18 Hours 10 Minutes | LEG 11: 12 May. Phoenix, Arizona (US) to Tulsa, Oklahoma (US) - 1,570 km; 18 Hours 10 Minutes |
| LEG 12: 21 May. Tulsa, Oklahoma (US) to Dayton, Ohio (US) - 1,113 km; 16 Hours 34 Minutes | LEG 12: 21 May. Tulsa, Oklahoma (US) to Dayton, Ohio (US) - 1,113 km; 16 Hours 34 Minutes |
| LEG 13: 25 May. Dayton, Ohio (US) to Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania (US) - 1,044 km; 16 Hours 47 Minutes | LEG 13: 25 May. Dayton, Ohio (US) to Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania (US) - 1,044 km; 16 Hours 47 Minutes |
| LEG 14: 11 June. Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania (US) to New York (US) - 230km; 4 Hours 41 Minutes | LEG 14: 11 June. Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania (US) to New York (US) - 230km; 4 Hours 41 Minutes |
| LEG 15: 20 June. New York (US) to Seville (Spain) - 6,765km; 71 hours 8 minutes | |
| LEG 16: 11 July. Seville (Spain) to Egypt (Cairo) - 3,745km; 48 Hours 50 Minutes |