On Monday Solar Impulse 2 was flying over the Saudi desert north of Riyadh, heading towards the Gulf. Dubbed the "paper plane", Solar Impulse 2 is circumnavigating the globe in stages, with 58-year-old Piccard and his compatriot Andre Borschberg taking turns at the controls of the single-seat aircraft. ABU DHABI - Solar Impulse 2 was on Monday approaching the end of its epic bid to become the first sun-powered airplane to circle the globe without a drop of fuel to promote renewable energy. Speaking to the BBC from the cockpit, Piccard described the final stage as a "fantastic moment" and likened the plane to a "flying laboratory". The project has also been beset by bad weather conditions and illness which forced Piccard to delay the final leg.

Source: Bangkok Post July 25, 2016 09:33 UTC