Solar-powered flight that visited Lehigh Valley completes historic run

The solar-powered plane that spent a few weeks moored in the Lehigh Valley completed its historic flight around the world early Tuesday morning, local time.

Pilot Bertrand Piccard, who flew into Lehigh Valley International Airport on May 25, was at the controls of the single-seat Solar Impulse 2 as it arrived back in Abu Dhabi.

It was March 9, 2015, when the Solar Impulse 2 took off from the capital of the United Arab Emirates in an effort to show a plane can fly around the world powered solely by solar power. There was no backup fuel for the plane, powered by 17,248 solar panels in the wings that charge four batteries so it can take off and fly at night.

The final leg that brought the plane back to Abu Dhabi completed a trip more than 25,000 miles long, or 40,290 kilometers, according to the flight log.

A handout picture made available by Solar Impulse shows the Swiss long-range experimental solar-powered aircraft Solar Impulse 2 taking off July 24, 2016, from Cairo International Airport in Cairo, Egypt, as it heads to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for the final leg of its round-the-world solar flight. The journey came to an end about 4 a.m. local time July 26, 2016. (European Pressphoto Agency | For lehighvalleylive.com)

Piccard alternated legs with his co-pilot and fellow Swiss aeronautical pioneer, Andre Borschberg.

Borschberg flew out of LVIA on June 10 for an overnight hop into JFK International Airport in New York City, on a leg that featured an early morning flyby past the Statue of Liberty.

The journey came to a close about 8 p.m. EDT Monday, or 4 a.m. Tuesday in Abu Dhabi.

Piccard and Borschberg, along with their mobile flight crew and mission control in Monaco, France, maintain the end of the flight is just the beginning of the future for renewable energy.

Here is a look at what those behind the Solar Impulse 2 were saying on social media about the final leg of the trip:

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.