The Surprising Zen of a 5-Day Flight Over the Pacific

You'd think anyone who spent 118 hours alone in a space the size of a refrigerator would go absolutely crazy. Not André Borschberg.
Image may contain Vehicle Transportation Aircraft Airplane Warplane and Bomber
Solar Impusle

You'd think anyone who spent 118 hours alone in a space the size of a refrigerator would go absolutely crazy. Not André Borschberg. The Swiss pilot just crossed the Pacific in a solar plane with a cockpit so small he couldn't stand, let alone walk around. And he loved it.

Flying over so vast an expanse of sea, with no landmarks, was oddly soothing, he said. He felt utterly at peace. Everything—flying, sleeping, preparing his meals—was contemplative. Even using the toilet became a "very zen experience," he says. (He didn't offer details, and we didn't ask.)

His five-day flight from Japan to Hawaii was a crucial leg in the round-the-world journey of Solar Impulse 2, a solar-powered single-seater that may make people rethink the idea of sustainable aviation. If nothing else, Borschberg has proven the innovative aircraft can generate sufficient power while in the air to stay aloft for days on end.

The plane is remarkably simple in concept. Made largely of carbon fiber, it weighs just 5,000 pounds, but has a wingspan greater than that of a Boeing 747. The wings and fuselage are covered with photovoltaic panels that charge the four highly efficient batteries that power the four 17.4-horsepower motors. The batteries charge during the day, when the plane cruises at nearly 30,000 feet. At night, it slowly descends to about 5,000 feet as the pilot—Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard take turns at the stick—reduces energy consumption by easing back on the power.

Borschberg and Piccard have spent years preparing for the circumnavigation. The effort started more than a decade ago, and included a smaller plane and shorter flights in Europe and across the US to prove the technology and refine the design. The current journey started in April in Abu Dhabi, but hit a snag after landing in China in May. Borschberg first took off from Nanjing, China, on May 30, but a nasty cold front forced him to abort. Weather is a serious issue for the 5,000 plane, which can't plow through thunderstorms. Cloudy skies are an obvious problem for solar panels, and a strong headwind can actually push the plane backward.

So when the team realized it had a small window of good weather to leave Japan, it took the chance. Borschberg left Nagoya, Japan on June 28, and landed at Hawaii's Kalaeloa airport on July 3. He covered 4,481 miles in 117 hours and 52 minutes of flight. His altitude peaked at 28,000 feet and he flew at an average of 38 mph, just what the team had expected.

The flight was not without its challenges, though. Not counting practice runs in a simulator, this was the first time Borschberg had to spend days at a time in the cramped cockpit, while staying mentally and physically fit enough to fly the plane. It was rainy season in Japan, so good weather was hard to find. And after takeoff, the autopilot's surveillance system, which wakes the sleeping pilot if anything falls beyond normal flight parameters, wasn't working. Borschberg and Piccard decided to keep going, relying on the ground crew to wake Borschberg as necessary by triggering an audio alarm and vibrations in his arm rests. Borschberg says pressing on was one of the most difficult decisions he's ever made, "but I felt I could handle this airplane."

The interior of Solar Impulse 2 makes Spirit's economy class look like Versailles. With just 135 cubic feet of space, there's no room to stand, let alone move around. Everything happens from the pilots seat including, well, let's just say the toilet is built into the seat. Borschberg and Piccard use meditation, breathing exercises, and whatever yoga they can manage to keep their bodies and minds feeling as fresh as possible.

All of which makes Borschberg's description of his mental state and physical well-being somewhat surprising. The first two nights were rough, but he relaxed as flight went on. Though there were the occasional tears—anyone is bound to get emotional while fulfilling a goal that's been 12 years coming—he had a wonderful time.

"I was counting the hours at the end, not because I was eager to land," Borschberg says, but "because it was the only hours left for me to enjoy my time in this cockpit."

Now that Solar Impulse 2 is on the ground, the crew will spend about a week checking the electric and avionics systems to ensure everything is tip-top before Piccard departs for the four-day flight to Phoenix. The route will be decided at the last minute, depending on weather patterns.

Piccard is excited to get back in the cockpit, but more eager to talk about what these flights prove. No one involved in the project harbors any illusions that we'll all cross the Pacific in solar planes anytime soon. But everyone steadfastly believes solar energy has a role to play in aviation. The team already is working on a drone capable of indefinite flight, but even that's not the real goal. The pilots are out to prove solar power and clear energy have a role to play in everything.

"We can today have a much more energy-efficient world, thanks to the type of technology that we are using and demonstrating," Borschberg says.