Operational Challenges During The Solar Impulse Flight Around The World In 2015

Christoph Schlettig, Flight Test Engineer, SOLAR IMPULSE SA, Lausanne, Switzerland
Michael Anger, Mission Engineer, , SOLAR IMPULSE SA, Lausanne, Switzerland

Abstract

Preparations for the first solar-powered circumnavigation of the earth faced challenges in aircraft ground operations and mission management for non-stop flights of up to five days duration.

The design of the landing gear requires a minimum ground crew of eight people to support the aircraft from the parking position up to the takeoff roll respectively from landing roll to the final stop. Furthermore the solar aircraft is unable to taxi under its own power. Therefore all ground movements are performed by the ground crew. Given the unique aircraft characteristics of light weight and large wingspan, the paper briefly describes the unusual solutions and their application during the flight around the world in 2015.

During a five day non-stop flight, the pilot is faced with a multitude of tasks managing his health, nutrition, fatigue, aircraft systems and mission progress. All activity must adapt to the limitations imposed by a mandatory 24h-altitude profile climbing up to FL280 each afternoon. The profile optimizes energy storage and is required to achieve perpetual flight. The paper provides an overview on how the mission control center managed and tracked all pilot tasks during the 118h non-stop flight from Japan to Hawaii in July 2015.