Lands Safely At Le Bourget For the Paris Air Show

For Solar Impulse, the second time was a charm as pilot Andre Borschberg landed the solar-powered airplane at Le Borget airport at 2130 local time Tuesday. The touchdown completed a flight of just over 16 hours from Brussels to Paris on solar power alone.

File Photo

A report on the Solar Impulse blog indicates that Borschberg executed a textbook landing in the plane, which must be supported by a ground crew to prevent it from tipping on its side as it slows. The well-practiced crew safely brought the aircraft to a stop, and Borschberg emerged, stretched, and said the flight had been an "amazing journey."

The team had attempted the flight Saturday, but weather forced the aircraft to fly lower than planned, which used more energy. The flight was cut short after a little more than three hours and returned to Brussels.

File Photo

The flight from Brussels to Paris is only about 158 miles, but weather and air traffic forced Borschberg to zigzag between clouds and wait for the traffic to clear before he could make the final push to Paris.

FMI: www.solarimpulse.com