After successfully making its way across the Pacific, Solar Impulse 2 is currently circling near Hawaii, set for an early-morning landing local time. The landing process is challenging due to the lightweight construction and low power of the aircraft. Solar Impulse 2 simply can't move forward fast enough to overcome significant winds, so conditions at the runway are critical to determining whether a landing can be made at all.
The wing also needs support once it's no longer holding the aircraft aloft; on landing, this support is provided by team members on bicycles, who match the speed of the plane while helping hold the wing up. In other words—it's a landing worth watching. A live stream is embedded above.
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