Solar plane reaches Oman, headed to India next

The solar-powered aircraft, Solar Impulse 2 (Si2), which aims to fly around the globe without a drop of fuel, landed on Monday in Oman's capital Muscat, from where it will fly to India. The aircraft, which took off from Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday, touched down in Muscat following a trouble-free 12-hour flight, Xinhua reported. The landing marks the completion of the first leg of the plane's global circumnavigation. Piloted by Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg of Switzerland, the aircraft is believed to be an effort to demonstrate the promise of clean energy. Capable of flying over oceans for several days and nights in a row, Si2 will travel 35,000 km around the world in 25 days over the course of roughly five months. It will pass over the Arabian Sea, India, Myanmar, China and the Pacific Ocean. There will be 12 stops en route, which include stops at the Indian cities of Ahmedabad and Varanasi. The aircraft is also likely to hover above the river Ganga in Varanasi to spread the message of cleanliness and clean energy. IANS