Paris 26 June 2010 – The Solar Powered Plane was unable to fly due to bad weather at Paris Air Show, only on Sunday morning the aircraft was able to fly at the air show.

The technical team was up early to prepare the aircraft and Markus Scherdel, the test pilot, was at Solar Impulse HQ by 08:00 and raring to go.

At 10:00 the propellors started turning and the plane was airbourne in less than 10 second. The public was stunned. There was thunderous applause. After a week of enjoying fabulous displays, sometimes spectacular, but always noisy and polluting, Solar Impulse suddenly offered an astonishing alternative solution. HB-SIA soared above their heads slowly for twenty minutes, majesticly and silently.

Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg

The plane was the brainchild of two aviators — Bertrand Piccard, who made history with the world’s first round-the-world hot air balloon flight in 1999, and Andre Borschberg.

Next on the agenda is Solar Impulse Mark II, a modified version of the original plane which will have a bigger cabin — a necessity for that round-the-world flight in 2012.

Source and photo: Solar Impulse Photo  Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg: Rob Vogelaar, ZAPP

Photo Report 49th Paris Air Show 2011

Photo Report and aircraft list here Additional Photo Report on Zap16.com (129 Pics)

Solar Impulse, has arrived in Le Bourget at its second attempt on Tuesday after three days’ delay, ready for a debut at the biennial International Paris Air Show. The 1.6-ton solar-powered plane was expected to land in Paris on Saturday but technical problems and bad weather forced it to turn back to Brussels.

Piloted by Solar Impulse’s co-founder and chief executive André Borschberg it took off from the military section of Brussels airport at 5.10am on Tuesday, taking advantage of a small weather window between rain fronts and landed 14 minutes ahead of schedule at Bourget airport in Paris at 9.16pm. The aircraft had to circle for several hours before landing because of heavy air traffic around Charles de Gaulle airport.

At the Paris Air Show  it will fly each morning from 20 June.

Source and photo: Solar Impulse

Earlier today we were able to get into the official website of the Paris Air Show at: http://www.paris-air-show.com/en  There all types of visitors should be able to find answers to all their specific questions about visiting the Paris Air Show 2011.