Solar plane lands in Egypt in penultimate stop of world tour

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Solar Impulse 2, the solar powered plane, piloted by Swiss pioneer André Borschberg, is seen during the flyover of the pyramids of Giza on July 13, 2016 prior to landing in Cairo, Egypt. The 16th leg of the round-the-world-trip from Seville in Spain covered a distance of 3,700 kilometers and took almost 49 hours. The Solar Impulse 2 landed in Cairo on July 13, 2016 for the penultimate stop in the solar-powered plane's world tour, two days after setting off from Spain. The 16th leg of the round-the-world-trip from Seville in Spain covered a distance of 3,700 kilometers and took almost 49 hours. / AFP PHOTO / Solar Impulse 2 / Jean Revillard / XGTY == RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE / MANDATORY CREDIT: "AFP PHOTO / SOLAR IMPULSE 2 / Jean Revillard" / NO MARKETING / NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS / DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS ==
Solar Impulse 2, the solar powered plane, piloted by Swiss pioneer André Borschberg, is seen during the flyover of the pyramids of Giza on July 13, 2016 prior to landing in Cairo, Egypt. The 16th leg of the round-the-world-trip from Seville in Spain covered a distance of 3,700 kilometers and took almost 49 hours.
The Solar Impulse 2 landed in Cairo on July 13, 2016 for the penultimate stop in the solar-powered plane’s world tour, two days after setting off from Spain. The 16th leg of the round-the-world-trip from Seville in Spain covered a distance of 3,700 kilometers and took almost 49 hours. / AFP PHOTO / 

CAIRO, Egypt (AFP) — The Solar Impulse 2 landed in Cairo on Wednesday for the penultimate stop in the solar-powered plane’s world tour, two days after setting off from Spain.

The experimental plane had completed the first solo transatlantic flight to land in Spain last month, and will continue from Cairo to Abu Dhabi, where it began its marathon journey in March last year.

After setting off from Seville, Spain on Monday morning, the plane passed through Algerian, Tunisian, Italian and Greek airspace, and flew over the Giza Pyramids before touching down at Cairo airport at around 7:10 am (0510 GMT).

Its support crew cheered as the plane, no heavier than a car but with the wingspan of a Boeing 747, landed, and trailed after it on bicycles.

“It was fantastic, everything worked well,” pilot Andre Borschberg told the control tower, as a live stream on Solar Impulse 2’s Facebook page was broadcast from the cockpit.

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