For those who have not been following the path of the Solar Powered Airplane, Solar Impulse. The Solar Powered Airplane safely landed in StLouis at Lambert Airport last night. After a 21 Hour 21 Minute Flight!
Solar Impulse Visit at Lambert - St. Louis Int Airport - 6-7th of June 2013
With the severe weather we have been having in the region lately, I have been concerned for the planes and pilots safety for this monumental occasion. I'm sure that there was some turbulence that the pilot and staff were forced to navigate on the 3rd Leg of the Journey across America from Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas to Lambert Field in StLouis. Nevertheless the plane landed safely and can be viewed at the impromptu hanger that was built for the solar powered plane-41 Banshee Rd 63145
Time Line of the Trip Flight: Dallas KDFW - St. Louis KSTL
Pilot: Bertrand Piccard, Initiator and Chairman
Take off time: June 3nd 04:06AM CDT (UTC-5)
Landing time: June 4th 01:28AM CDT (UTC-5)
Flight duration: 21h21min
Average ground speed: 49 km/h (26.3 kt)
Highest altitude reached: 7,315 m(24,000 ft)
Flight Distance: 1040 km (~562 NM)
Here is a link to the
directions / map for the Solar Impulse viewing at the Lambert Field
Directions:
Take 1-170 to Exit 9A Airport Rd.
Go west to McDonnell Blvd.
Go north (right) to Banshee Rd.
Go west (left) on Banshee for approximately .6 miles
Signs will be in place at event entrance.
41 Banshee Road, StLouis MO 63145
Viewing Times Thursday and Friday-6-7th of June 2013- While the viewing is free pre-registration is required.
Come and see Solar Impulse's solar airplane, HB-SIA, at Lambert - St. Louis International Airport.
Come and see Solar Impulse's solar airplane, HB-SIA, at Lambert - St. Louis International Airport.
Bertrand landed at Lambert-St. Louis International airport at 01:28 AM CDT (UTC-5), Tuesday June 4th, completing his longest ever flight (21 hours 21 minutes).
The mobile hangar, a concept developed by Solar Impulse and being used for the first time during a mission, is setup and waiting to welcome the solar aircraft in its cocoon as soon as the Ground Crew haul it off the runway. This inflatable hangar was deployed after the one provided by Lambert-St. Louis was rendered inoperable by violent storms that struck the city and the airport this past weekend.
St. Louis was chosen as the destination for the third leg of this Across America mission for historic and symbolic reasons. St. Louis is best known for the “Spirit of St. Louis” who, piloted by Charles Lindbergh in 1927 completed the first non-stop flight from New York to Paris. This flight was made possible by St. Louis businessmen including the namesake of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, Albert Bond Lambert.
During today’s flight, there were a couple of memorable calls from the ground to the cockpit. This first one was from Erik Lindbergh, Charles’ grandson. They had a chance to discuss the importance of exploration and of inspiring younger generations to take a chance and become pioneers of and for the future. They also got to exchange thoughts on the future of aviation while they spoke about meeting again in Washington D.C. at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum under Erik’s grandfather’s “Spirit of St. Louis” and Bertrand’s “Breitling Orbiter”.
The other call was from Alan Nichols, President of the Explorer’s Club. He said he wished he could be up there, with Bertrand. At every stopover, chapters of the Explorer’s Club organized visits to see the solar airplane and they will hold a reception for Solar Impulse in New York City. Flag n°50 of the Club is travelling with André and Bertrand Across America – The same flag travelled to Morocco onboard HB-SIA during the 2012 Crossing Frontiers mission.
The best part of the flight, however, was the incredible response rate we got from Solar Impulse supporters who took to heart the call to “Keep the Pilot Awake”. A campaign launched by our Social Media and Community Engagement manager, Elâ Borschberg, over 600 people (and counting) responded with words of encouragement, via email, to the pilot and, more importantly, jokes to make him laugh.
In keeping with the green and eco friendly nature of the Solar Powered Plane I plan to take my girls grand-kids to the event via the StLouis Metro Transit use the Metro Trip Planner for a green alternative to view the Solar Powered Plane.
Added June 13, 2013Solar Impulse will be taking off from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (MO) for Washington Dulles (VA) tomorrow Friday June 14th around 4 AM CDT (UTC-5). Piloted by André, it's expected to be a challenging flight due to high cross and headwinds. Because of this, Solar Impulse will do a pit stop at Cincinnati Municipal Lunken Airport (OH) in order to change pilots, rest and take-off the following morning with better weather conditions. With Bertrand at the controls, the solar airplane will take-off the next morning, Saturday June 15th around 8 AM EDT (UTC-4) and land in the nation's capital sometime after midnight EDT (UTC-4).
Stay Tuned for Further Details on the #Solar Powered Airplanes StLouis Visit.
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