<p>The world's only 'no-fuel' solar- powered aircraft 'Solar Impulse-2' today took off for Myanmar from Varanasi after overnight stopover, ending its week-long journey in India as part of the round-the-world trip.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The aircraft took off at around 5:22 AM from Varanasi airport and is being flown by co-pilot as well as project President Bertrand Piccard.<br /><br />The Solar Impulse-2 is currently flying the fourth leg. The Aircraft made a night stop in Varanasi for nearly 8 hours.<br /><br />The CEO and pilot of Solar Impulse, Andre Borschberg, had flown the solar-powered aircraft to Varanasi from Ahmedabad.<br /><br />The aircraft touched down at the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport at Babatpur yesterday shortly after 8:30 PM, completing an over 13 hour-long journey from Ahmedabad, where the plane and the crew had a week's stopover.<br /><br />The aircraft maintained a minimum altitude of around 5,200 metres on its flight to Varanasi.<br /><br />The plane reached Ahmedabad on March 10 and was stationed for six days there before arriving in Varanasi. The aircraft began its journey on March 9 from Abu Dhabi.<br /><br />Swiss co-pilot Bertrand Piccard had flown the plane from Muscat to Ahmedabad whereas Borschberg had flown the aircraft to Varanasi from Ahmedabad.<br /><br />Solar Impulse is claimed to be the first aircraft to fly day and night without a drop of fuel, propelled solely by the sun's energy. The single-seater aircraft, made of carbon fibre, has a 72 meter wingspan, larger than that of Boeing-747 and weighs only 2,300 kg.<br /><br />The 17,248 solar cells on the wing recharge four lithium polymer batteries weighing 633 kg each, which allow the aircraft to fly at night.<br /><br />The SI-2 from Mandalay in Myanmar is scheduled to reach Chongqing and Nanjing in China and thereafter to USA.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Swiss ambassador to India Linus Von Castelmur said the solar-powered aircraft 'Solar Impulse-2' wanted to fly over the Ganga ghats and have a helicopter alongside to shoot images of it and the ghats but was denied permissions due to security reasons.<br /><br />"We didn't get permits to have helicopter flying over the airports and the ghats. It was the central government's decision. It's once again a pity but sometimes bureaucrats are not very open minded," the swiss ambassador told a TV news channel, adding that it made him "sad".<br /><br />However, when contacted, Additional District Magistrate (City) Vindhyavasini Rai said, "The permission sought in advance for aerial videography of Ganga ghats by the Solar Impulse-2 team was granted by the district authorities." <br /></p>
<p>The world's only 'no-fuel' solar- powered aircraft 'Solar Impulse-2' today took off for Myanmar from Varanasi after overnight stopover, ending its week-long journey in India as part of the round-the-world trip.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The aircraft took off at around 5:22 AM from Varanasi airport and is being flown by co-pilot as well as project President Bertrand Piccard.<br /><br />The Solar Impulse-2 is currently flying the fourth leg. The Aircraft made a night stop in Varanasi for nearly 8 hours.<br /><br />The CEO and pilot of Solar Impulse, Andre Borschberg, had flown the solar-powered aircraft to Varanasi from Ahmedabad.<br /><br />The aircraft touched down at the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport at Babatpur yesterday shortly after 8:30 PM, completing an over 13 hour-long journey from Ahmedabad, where the plane and the crew had a week's stopover.<br /><br />The aircraft maintained a minimum altitude of around 5,200 metres on its flight to Varanasi.<br /><br />The plane reached Ahmedabad on March 10 and was stationed for six days there before arriving in Varanasi. The aircraft began its journey on March 9 from Abu Dhabi.<br /><br />Swiss co-pilot Bertrand Piccard had flown the plane from Muscat to Ahmedabad whereas Borschberg had flown the aircraft to Varanasi from Ahmedabad.<br /><br />Solar Impulse is claimed to be the first aircraft to fly day and night without a drop of fuel, propelled solely by the sun's energy. The single-seater aircraft, made of carbon fibre, has a 72 meter wingspan, larger than that of Boeing-747 and weighs only 2,300 kg.<br /><br />The 17,248 solar cells on the wing recharge four lithium polymer batteries weighing 633 kg each, which allow the aircraft to fly at night.<br /><br />The SI-2 from Mandalay in Myanmar is scheduled to reach Chongqing and Nanjing in China and thereafter to USA.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Swiss ambassador to India Linus Von Castelmur said the solar-powered aircraft 'Solar Impulse-2' wanted to fly over the Ganga ghats and have a helicopter alongside to shoot images of it and the ghats but was denied permissions due to security reasons.<br /><br />"We didn't get permits to have helicopter flying over the airports and the ghats. It was the central government's decision. It's once again a pity but sometimes bureaucrats are not very open minded," the swiss ambassador told a TV news channel, adding that it made him "sad".<br /><br />However, when contacted, Additional District Magistrate (City) Vindhyavasini Rai said, "The permission sought in advance for aerial videography of Ganga ghats by the Solar Impulse-2 team was granted by the district authorities." <br /></p>