Tips:TTFnews:It has been a calm week for the Solar Impulse 2 team, with not much in the way of events and visits, giving us ample time to prepare for our next leg to Hawaii.
All the teams are busy on strategy. For example, the logistics team is occupied with transporting our materials and equipment. Team support is making sure all air tickets are booked and accommodation is taken care of.
Meanwhile, the press team is preparing for media conferences at take-off in Nanjing and arrival in Hawaii, while arranging interviews for the pilots with international media agencies.
Everyone is occupied but relaxed at the same time.
As I've mentioned, the journey is dependent on weather conditions, hence finding a window to fly to our next destination is quite the feat.
We must take a flight duration of five consecutive days and nights into account and we need to be patient for the window to open to accomplish this unprecedented and historic flight.
For Solar Impulse, we have a group of talented individuals comprised of engineers and meteorologists based in Monaco at our mission control centre (MCC).
Their main task is to analyse and forecast weather conditions before flying and assess how the weather might affect the plane during the flight.
They're the people who give us the green light for the take-off.
Another crucial task they take upon themselves is staying in contact with the pilot during his flight. The MCC is the eyes of the pilots in terms of choosing the most appropriate route. This will put them under a lot of pressure during the elongated leg of the Pacific crossing, wher they will have to alternate posts and work in shifts.
As of now, the whole crew is ready for the take-off. Everyone is eager to face new challenges and move forward through the journey.
As for myself, the first crew member arriving in China, it has almost been two months (to be quite specific it's been 55 days, and counting). I'm looking forward to reaching Hawaii and enjoying the beaches and the beautiful weather. I hope to send through my next article overlooking a splendid view of Honolulu.
