CRAIG T. KOJIMA / JULY 3
Solar Impulse 2 landed on Oahu in July. The sun-powered aircraft has been grounded for battery repairs.
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After a six-month Hawaiian vacation, the Solar Impulse 2, the plane attempting to travel around the world powered only by the sun, is tentatively scheduled to take off on the next leg of its venture in April, Solar Impulse 2 spokeswoman Elke Neumann said Wednesday.
Swiss pilots Andre Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard are preparing to get back in their 4-by-6-1⁄2-foot cockpit next month to begin training flights.
The plane has been sitting at Kalaeloa Airport in West Oahu since it landed in July after flying nonstop from Japan. The five-day journey set a record for the longest solar flight both by time and distance.
The pilots planned to fly on to Phoenix but the plane was grounded due to the batteries overheating.
Neumann said the team is keeping its options open as to where it will land after it leaves Hawaii. Possible destinations include Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles or Phoenix.
