{"id":9975,"date":"2015-06-01T09:41:06","date_gmt":"2015-06-01T16:41:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?p=9975"},"modified":"2015-06-01T09:41:06","modified_gmt":"2015-06-01T16:41:06","slug":"solar-impulse-bad-news-good-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/solar-impulse-bad-news-good-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Solar Impulse: Bad News, Good News"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Solar Impulse team had bad news today.\u00a0 \u201cUnfortunately the current weather\u00a0window to reach Hawaii has closed.\u00a0The cold front is too dangerous to cross, so we have decided to land in Nagoya Airfield<\/a>, also known as Komaki Airport, and wait for better\u00a0weather\u00a0conditions in order to continue.\u201d<\/p>\n

The good news came with the safe landing following a record 40 hours in the air for Andre\u2019 Borschberg, who had ample\u00a0opportunity to practice the self-hypnosis and meditation skills that help keep him sharp.\u00a0 That the full flight would have added at least 80 hours to the endeavor seems less daunting now, since the Solar Impulse team handled the diversion to Nagoya calmly and professionally, even obtaining the services of a bicycle rider to assist with one outrigger landing gear during the landing. \u00a0The unscheduled landing also means bringing the craft’s giant inflatable hangar on an unscheduled trip to Japan.<\/p>\n

\"Solar<\/a>

Solar Impulse making another dramatic night landing – this time at Komaki Airport, Nogoya,\u00a0Japan<\/p><\/div>\n

This longest flight so far gave ample opportunity for the team to demonstrate the reliability and functionality of the solar cells, power control systems, and all the flight and communication systems.\u00a0 The fact that on-ground viewers could follow the trip in great detail is a testimony to the technologies that make the Internet and other modern marvels possible.<\/p>\n

That the batteries seemed to have enough reserve to give several more hours of flight in darkness showed the design to be sound and Borschberg\u2019s shepherding of his resources to be skilled.<\/p>\n

Solar Impulse graciously acknowledged assistance from personnel in Nagoya, who responded quickly to the change of plans.\u00a0 \u201cWe would like to thank JCAB, MILIT, MOFA, Japanese Customs and Immigration JSDF, Nakanihon Air Service, Centrair and\u00a0Kuehne-Nagel\u200b, for their incredible help to our team in Nagoya.\u201d<\/p>\n

Viewing Andre\u2019 Borschberg\u2019s departure from the giant airplane, we realized he didn\u2019t look all that frazzled, something\u00a0 the average passenger on a trans-pacific flight of only nine or 10 hours might not be able to demonstrate.\u00a0\u00a0 This gives hope for the next, bigger hop.<\/p>\n