ABU DHABI // Solar Impulse's final flight back to Abu Dhabi is on hold while the crew wait for a break in the weather to allow the plane to fly over the Saudi desert.
Ground teams at Cairo International Airport, where the sun-powered plane landed last week, were prepared for take-off in the early hours on Sunday. But the Solar Impulse team said the final wind reading was too high to take off safely.
Although the plane has been round the world through 16 different stops, the 48-hour Cairo to Abu Dhabi flight will prove to be one of the longer and more difficult legs.
“The main challenge for this flight is it is going to be very, very warm over the Saudi desert,” said Raymond Clerc, mission director of the project.
Even at night, temperatures in the cockpit are expected to hit 25-30°C with daytime temperatures expected to be even warmer.
Turbulence caused by the hot weather will require Bertrand Piccard, the co-founder and pilot to take manual control of the flight, depending less on auto-pilot and giving him less opportunities for rest.
Although being grounded is frustrating, it does give the Swiss national time to recover from a stomach bug which would have ruled him out of the flight back to the UAE.
Mr Piccard’s illness came to light on Saturday night when he tweeted: “I’m sick. Stomach upset. I prefer to postpone the take-off @solarimpulse. I cannot go flying for 48 hours in that shape. Sorry.”
Mr Clerc confirmed that Solar Impulse would only take off when the weather in Saudi Arabia was suitable and Mr Piccard was feeling better.
“Safety first, it’s not possible... and he has to go to the toilet every 10 minutes, this is not an option,” he said.
“Bertrand is not very healthy tonight, this is the main reason. But we have to look at the flight, a very, very challenging flight, 48 hours minimum. If you are healthy and the aircraft is fine, in normal conditions this is very, very difficult,” he said.
Co-pilot Andre Borschberg, who flew the plane across the Pacific over five days and has previously seen several of his take-offs delayed, said the decision to postpone was almost always prudent.
“Cancelling the flight to Abu Dhabi is not an easy decision but it’s a wise decision for safety reasons,” he tweeted on Saturday night.
The plane was expected to take off at 2am UAE time on Sunday and land later this week in Abu Dhabi, completing the first solar-powered round-the-world journey. Solar Impulse began its journey from the capital in March last year. The ground crew will determine the next available window for take-off.
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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