SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – A solar-powered airplane reached the San Francisco Bay area and performed a fly-by over the Golden Gate Bridge on Saturday afternoon following 56 hours of flight over the Pacific Ocean as part of its journey around the world.
“I crossed the bridge. I am officially in America,” pilot Bertrand Piccard declared as he flew over the iconic span as spectators watched the narrow aircraft with extra wide wings from below.
The aircraft will loiter aloft until about midnight, when winds will decrease for landing at Moffett Airfield in Mountain View. Piccard said stopping in Silicon Valley, where the airfield is located, will help link the daring project to the pioneering spirit of the area.
“Can you imagine crossing the Golden Gate Bridge on a solar-powered plane just like ships did in past centuries? But the plane doesn’t make noise and doesn’t pollute,” Piccard said a live video feed on the website documenting the journey.
“It’s a priority to link the project we have with the pioneering spirit in Silicon Valley,” he added.