Solar Impulse approaching California

The 9th leg of the Solar Impulse flight is almost complete. The aircraft departed Hawaii Thursday, and is currently descending into Mountain View California. They're passing through 7,300 feet, 63 miles out, at about 52 mph. The flight was made at approximately 16,000 feet with a nice tailwind out of Hawaii. They reached almost 100 mph at times during the flight, and passed the point of no return yesterday.

Solar 2 Flightradar24

You can even do a 3D view, and see a virtual cockpit view looking out at the horizon and see them turning and maneuvering.

Is it landing in Mountainview or continuing its flight?. Im east of MV and can possibly take a pic to post as it goes over if it continues

a reply to: visitedbythem

They're planning to land in Mountain View, and spend at least a day or two there, before they continue on to Phoenix, which I believe is where the flight ends.

a reply to: Zaphod58 OK thanks

The Solar Impulse page has a view from the aircraft, cockpit audio, and virtual cockpit.

www.solarimpulse.com...#

a reply to: Zaphod58

Can't end there. That's just (about) half way.

a reply to: Phage

They said something about Phoenix the other day, which is why I said I believe.

a reply to: Zaphod58

This is SO cool! Thank you for sharing this.

Very neat. These folks are brave, IDK if I'd have the guts to fly in a solar powered aircraft across the Pacific from Hawaii to Cali!

S&F for you, again.

a reply to: Zaphod58

The goal is a circumnavigation of the planet. They launched in Abu Dhabi.
i2.cdn.turner.com...

a reply to: lovebeck

This leg was easy. The leg from Nagoya to Barbers Point was insane. It took the five days to make that leg.

a reply to: Phage

They were making repairs in Hawaii so long that I forgot where they started from.

They're going to fly into San Francisco Bay, and over the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, where they'll pass over at 4,000 feet, meeting a photography aircraft, after which they're going to turn around and head back out over the Pacific, down the coast, and come ashore North of Pescadero, crossing just South of Palo Alto, before turning in to Mountain View.

a reply to: Zaphod58
High lift wing. Low VNE.
Takes a while to shed 4k, I guess.

a reply to: Phage

It sounds like that was the plan all along. They want pictures over the landmarks listening to the ground control talking to the pilot, and ATC.

It's interesting because they have to keep circling so they can keep the batteries at 100%.

a reply to: Zaphod58
So, the Peninsula is a better photo op than the Koolaus?

pfft.

a reply to: Phage

Well, you don't tend to catch the fun updrafts like you do around the Koolaus. I imagine that would make it interesting to fly near in this thing.

a reply to: Zaphod58
The launch from Kalaeloa was delayed a bit.
Trades were smokin'.

a reply to: Phage

They said at points during the flight they were hitting 93 knots.

a reply to: Zaphod58
Groundspeed, it should be noted.

a reply to: Phage

Yes, and according to the Flightradar24 feed, they were up to over 150 knots groundspeed as they closed in on Cali. Even just groundspeed, that's moving at a pretty good clip for this thing.