Solar impulse flyer makes first stop in Oman

"Solar Impulse 2" descends to land in Muscat March 9, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

MUSCAT -- The globe-trotting Solar Impulse 2 (Si2) landed in Muscat Monday, touching down silently on the runway following a trouble-free 12 hour first leg flight from Abu Dhabi, UAE.

The landing marks the completion of the first leg of the global circumnavigation for the innovative solar-powered aircraft. The Si2 pilots emerged from the flyer to be greeted by a welcoming reception.

Piloted in turns by Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg, the Solar Impulse is designed to fly continuously day and night powered only by sunlight collected by solar cells and stored as electricity in onboard lithium batteries.

The ground-breaking aircraft will travel to 12 countries in an historic attempt to fly around the world without using a drop of fuel, travelling approx. 35,000 kilometres.

The Solar Impulse project is the fruit of 13 years of research and testing by co-founders Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg, two Swiss pilots whose idea was initially thought to be an impossible dream.