(VIDEO) First return of the Solar Impulse, flight from Rabat to Ouarzazate

18 June 2012

The third flight of the Solar Impulse in 2012 is a disappointment for the team. On last Wednesday, the solar plane had to turn around because of violent winds on the way to Ouarzazate landing at 10:55 p.m. (9:55 p.m. GMT) in Rabat, its starting point.

In the air for more than 16 hours, the aircraft covered no less than 780 km. The plane built entirely in carbon fiber and fitted with 12,000 photovoltaic cells is powered by four electric motors developing each 10 horsepower.

Before the departure, organizers, whether Solar Impulse’s team or the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (Masen) had expressed doubts on the flight.

André Borschberg, Swiss pilot and co-founder of the project said that "Nature was stronger than us. I am disappointed not being able to land at Ouarzazate on the first try but we are already looking for a new flight date."

This flight was part an intercontinental test-flight of the Solar Impulse which began on May 24 in Payerne, Switzerland, to prepare a world tour in 2014.