The first solar powered flight around the world

In 2016, a fragile-looking aircraft with the wingspan of a jumbo jet and the power of a scooter attempted something no one had ever managed before: flying around the world without a drop of fuel.

But behind the serene images of Solar Impulse Two, gliding over oceans, was a story of near disaster, exhaustion, and a team pushed to breaking point.

Bertrand Piccard - explorer, balloonist and one of the two pilots - tells Kurt Brookes how a dream born in the Egyptian desert became a 40,000km test of nerve, technology and sheer stubbornness.

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(Photo: Solar Impulse 2 second test flight over Abu Dhabi. Credit: Solar Impulse/ Stefatou)