Tornadoes Challenge Solar Impulse: Solar Airplane Flight

June 3, 2013

Severe weather in Midwest challenges the solar airplane, Solar Impulse’s third leg Across America

For the first time, Solar Impulse will use a revolutionary inflatable hangar for the solar airplane after damage to St. Louis Hangar.

Released from Dallas Texas, June 2, 2013, via the Solar Impulse team. The strong storms that struck the St. Louis area on Friday night have rendered Solar Impulse’s hangar at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport inoperable. The solar-powered airplane of Swiss pioneers Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg remains on schedule to make the flight.

The solar airplane will depart from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on Monday, June 3, and arrive in St. Louis, Missouri after midnight CDT (UTC-5) on Tuesday, June 4. Solar Impulse will deploy a revolutionary inflatable structure to protect the aircraft. This is the first time the inflatable hangar will be used.

Across America, 2nd leg from Phoenix Sky Harbor to Dallas Fort Worth. The HB-SIA solar airplane will soon be taken out of its hangar. | 2013.05.22 | © Solar Impulse | Revillard | Rezo.ch

Multiple tornadoes touched down in the St. Louis region Friday night. They caused damage to several of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport’s buildings, including the hangar reserved for Solar Impulse. Postponing the flight is not an option. The particularly difficult weather conditions in the region leave only a few flight possibilities between Dallas-Fort Worth and St. Louis. Monday’s flight may be the only one this week. If Solar Impulse doesn’t seize this opportunity, the chances of reaching the final destination of the Across America Mission as scheduled could be compromised.

Pilot Bertrand Piccard will take off Monday morning for a 21 hour flight – his longest flight in the single-seat cockpit to date. The inflatable hangar that will protect the aircraft has been conceived and designed by the Solar Impulse team for the world tour of 2015. This revolutionary structure will be used for the first time in real conditions. The team will only have a few hours to deploy this innovative structure before the airplane arrives.

Starting on Saturday, Lambert-St. Louis International Airport mobilized its forces to help Solar Impulse reorganize and confront this extraordinary situation. The Logistics and Mission teams are working hand-in-hand, around the clock. They face the challenge of bringing the airplane safely to St. Louis, and ensuring its protection upon arrival. The stopover in St. Louis during the crossing of the United States is very important and symbolic for Solar Impulse. St. Louis was chosen as the Midwest stopover to pay homage to the city’s aviation legacy. This rich history includes the aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh and his “Spirit of St. Louis,” which was the first airplane to fly from New York to Paris non-stop.

After St. Louis, Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg will continue to alternately pilot the solar airplane to reach Washington, D.C. and New York.

You may enjoy our coverage of this historic Across America mission by Solar Impulse. Below are a couple stories:

The Solar Impulse Across America mission is made in partnership with Solvay, Schindler, Bayer Material Science, Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, Sunpower and the Swiss Confederation.

By Amber Archangel