Around The World In. . . A Solar-Powered Plane

In an effort to bring attention to the issue of climate change, a Swiss-made, solar-powered aircraft began its inaugural journey around the world Monday. The plane, called Solar Impulse, took off from Abu Dhabi on Monday morning and began a five-month journey to prove that reducing dependence on fossil fuels is possible in today's world.

Around The World In 5 Months, In Flight 25 Days

The plane's actual flying time is forecast at 25 days, with some legs of the trip expected to be as long as five days as the two pilots cross oceans. At the controls will be Andre Borschberg and co-pilot Bertrand Piccard, both of whom have been training for years to prepare for the fatigue of spending nearly a week in an unpressurized flight deck.

Sunny Travels

The journey has been planned in order to maximize the plane's time in the sun and will include stops in China, Hawaii, New York and Myanmar. The plane is also expected to land in or around Southern Europe, but the plans haven't been fleshed out yet, as the flight path will be dependent on the weather at the time.

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Sponsorship

The historic flight has a host of big name sponsors including Google Inc GOOGGOOGL, LVMH Moet Hennessy LVMHF and OMEGA. UAE clean energy company Masdar has taken on the brunt of the flight's financial needs. Throughout the five months, the public can follow the solar plane's journey on the Solar Impulse website, which includes everything from the pilot's sleep time to the plane's energy consumption.