Solar Impulse 2 takes off from Myanmar on round-the-world flight

The Solar Impulse 2 has successfully taken off from Mandalay in Myanmar on its journey to Chongqing in China.

Swiss pilot Bertrand Piccard waves from Solar Impulse 2 before taking off at the Mandalay International Airport in Myanmar. Ye Aung Thu / AFP Photo

Solar Impulse 2 successfully took off early on Monday on the latest leg of its solar-powered, round-the-world flight.

The journey, which has been delayed for more than a week, began as the plane left Mandalay at 1am local time for its 1,375km flight.

It is expected to land in Chongqing in China after about 19 hours of flying.

From an altitude of 24,000 feet, pilot Bertrand Piccard tweeted a photo of himself eating a meal of tabbouleh, quinoa, and spelt.

The plane entered Chinese airspace shortly after, and is expected to land in Chongqing on Monday night.

The Solar Impulse team has emphasised that the current leg of the plane’s round the world journey is expected to be the most physically demanding for the pilots.

They will need to use of oxygen required in the unpressurised cockpit and, as they need to reach high altitudes to ascend over the Himalayas, temperatures could dip to as low as -20°C.

Clear skies are expected for the plane as it flies through Chinese airspace. However, Mr Piccard said forecasted winds of up to 40 knots (74kph) in Chongqing could test his flying skills.

From Chongqing, the Solar Impulse will then fly on to Nanjing.

Solar Impulse began its journey in Abu Dhabi earlier this month.