Yeah but what about meals?

[Tom]

http://www.aol.com/article/2015/07/03/solar-powered-plane-due-to-land-in-hawaii-after-5-day-flight/21204704/?icid=maing-grid7%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl3%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D-1110626195

It's a rhetorical question.

[Arizona Wayne]

Tom, did you watch the series of other videos following the 1st 1?  It's not a non-stop attempt and they are solely controlled by the weather along the way.  Still quite an accomplishment tho.  Surprising to me they fly @ night some  too.  Must have batteries on board.   But the whole plane looks quite frail.  There are 2 pilots to take turns flying the plane so the other can sleep.  Haven't heard their air speed but it is slow.

[Tom]

Yeah, I did.  When they "not sure for commercial flights" that's when I thought about meals.

[AGRO!]

That's unreal!

[charlie b]

They only use two pilots for some of the legs.  The longer flight to Hawaii was a solo pilot.  They have an autopilot.

Yep, kinda like a powered balloon.  You go with the wind.

Still, it is a great accomplishment.

[segesta]

I dunno, it sounds like the meal service on this solar plane was exactly the same as on most modern airlines.

[wymple]

They aren't trying to promote aviation by solar, either. It's just a test bed for solar technology.

[Penderic]

Read somewhere that big high flying solar drones can act as good long term communication and surveillance platforms.

[Tom]

Definitely "We can do it.  Now what?"

[Testarossa]

Solar electric drones also useful for high-altitude atmospheric research. No emissions to contaminate samples.

[charlie b]

Definitely "We can do it.  Now what?"

Yep  :)