Leg #1: Abu Dhabi (UAE) - Muscat (Oman)

Monday 9th March 2015

Bertrand Piccard and I finally launch our attempt at flying Round-The-World in a solar-powered airplane.

I took off in Solar Impulse 2 this morning from Abu Dhabi. Under intense and watchful eyes, the Solar Impulse team in Abu Dhabi along with the Mission Control Center (MCC) in Monaco, witnessed Solar Impulse take-off this morning to reach Muscat (Oman), before crossing the Arabian Sea to Ahmedabad (India). It has taken twelve years to be able to finally attempt to make our dream a reality demonstrating the importance of renewable energy conceived through pioneering spirit and innovation.

We are very ambitious in our goal, but modest given the magnitude of the challenge. This is an attempt, and only time will tell if we can overcome the numerous weather, technical, human and administrative issues

Supported by H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco, UAE Minister of State and Chairman of Masdar H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Jaber and Richard Branson the #FutureIsClean initiative has been launched on www.futureisclean.org to recruit the severely needed support for the adoption of clean technologies worldwide.

"The historic day has finally arrived. After months of intense preparation and collaboration with Masdar, Solar Impulse 2 is ready to embark on its attempt to circumnavigate the world using only the sun's energy, demonstrating the power of clean technology. This journey is a moment of national pride for the United Arab Emirates, as Abu Dhabi helped the mission team prepare for success. Together, we inspired thousands of students and professionals across the country, and I'm confident that such community engagement initiatives will be replicated across the globe, capturing the hearts and imaginations of the world and reaching our collective goal of a cleaner future, “said H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Jaber.