Bertrand Piccard & André Borschberg latest news - 3rd Flight

Note:

Bertrand Piccard & André Borschberg

I received this in my inbox; (after seeing: an Exxon Valdez every four days!)"As supporters and friends of the Solar Impulse project, we always give priority to keeping you informed.""The 3rd test flight of the Solar Impulse HB-SIA is due to take place tomorrow, on Saturday, May 8, 2010, early in the morning, at the Payerne airbase (Switzerland). Weather forecasts are currently favourable. The take-off is foreseen at around 07.15 (local time) for a flight lasting three hours, mostly above the Lake of Neuchatel.""This will be the first time the prototype will be flying with its permanent foam encased cockpit. For the first two flights, the HB-SIA flew with aas a protection for the pilot in the case of any accident."the direction of Flight Test Operations of Solar Impulse should decide to fly or not the HB-SIA with the highest flexibility, according to technical such as weather criteria. We strive to keep you informed as completely and as quickly as possible. As in any experimental project, it is not impossible that the initial announcement of a flight could be reversed thereafter. Before moving to Payerne, thank you for checking your e-mail box and our website.""The overall aim of the upcoming test flight program is to find out the HB-SIAs flight characteristics. In line with the mission centres instructions, test pilot Markus Scherdel is going to successively test several flight phases, at different altitudes and different speeds, enabling the engineers to gain a detailed insight into the prototypes performance. This will then be used to define the design goals of our second aircraft.""In the future, we will be announcing to you each new test flight - a privilege accorded to Solar Impulse supporters. If you want to share this information with acquaintances and friends, just ask them to register on the Supporters Program's website ( www.solarimpulse.com/supporters_program ). You will find all information and pictures from our next flights missions on our website www.solarimpulse.com "This information on the next test flight is top priority news. We are pleased to pass it on to you first of all."Blue skyes and favorable winds!