Local

Record breaking solar plane lands in Dallas

The plane is called the Solar Impulse and it runs on nothing but sunshine.

The Impulse smashed the previous record for the longest solar-powered flight with a 958 mile, 18 hour tour of the great southwest that began in Phoenix.

If you do the math you may begin to scratch your head. Yes, the plane is slow, maxing out at about 35 miles per hour.

Developers and the pilot of the craft say this isn’t about speed or beauty right now. Instead they want to show the potential of this and similar planes in the future.

Speaking of the pilot, his name is Andre Borschberg. He told the BBC there are issues that come with being in charge of this beast. “You have to understand that the pilot needs to stay awake without any autopilot," he began.

He went on to talk about the notorious north Texas weather "this leg was particularly challenging because of fairly strong winds at the landing.”

The next leg of the cross-country trip will begin when the Impulse leaves DFW and heads to Lambert Airport in St. Louis.

http://youtu.be/0py9u7hMkl8

Listen

news

weather

traffic

mobile apps

Everything you love about krmg.com and more! Tap on any of the buttons below to download our app.

amazon alexa

Enable our Skill today to listen live at home on your Alexa Devices!