Beginning in May, a plane will fly across the United States on sunlight alone. In 2015, it will circumnavigate the world. On the morning of March 21, 1999, Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones landed their balloon in the Egyptian desert, completing the first such nonstop flight around the world. Amid the celebrations, Piccard made a sobering discovery: The propane tanks needed to keep his balloon aloft were almost empty. "If the winds had been a little weaker over the Atlantic, I would have ditched,...
Beginning in May, a plane will fly across the United States on sunlight alone. In 2015, it will circumnavigate the world. On the morning of March 21, 1999, Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones landed their balloon in the Egyptian desert, completing the first such nonstop flight around the world. Amid the celebrations, Piccard made a sobering discovery: The propane tanks needed to keep his balloon aloft were almost empty. "If the winds had been a little weaker over the Atlantic, I would have ditched,...
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