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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Solar-powered pilots’ globe-circling flight arrives in NYC

Solar-powered airplane Solar Impulse 2, piloted by Swiss adventurer Andre Borschberg, flies over the Statue of Liberty on Saturday in  New York. (Jean Revillard / Jean Revillard/SI2 via Associated Press)
By Frank Eltman Associated Press

NEW YORK – The pilots of a solar-powered airplane on a globe-circling voyage that began more than a year ago said their flight over the Statue of Liberty inspired them on their mission to promote a world free from reliance on fossil fuels.

“Today, liberty is about finding and promoting renewable sources of power,” said Bertrand Piccard, one of the pilots of the Solar Impulse 2.

Piccard and Andre Borschberg, who flew the plane to John F. Kennedy International Airport, arrived 4 a.m. Saturday from Pennsylvania.

“It was really gorgeous,” Borschberg said of the Statue of Liberty.

Their trip across the U.S. began April 24.

Piccard said the pair hoped to leave next week on their journey across the Atlantic Ocean.