Solar Impulse 2 Lands At Tulsa International Airport

Aviation history was made in Tulsa Thursday night. Solar Impulse 2, a solar-powered experimental plane, landed at Tulsa International Airport.

The flight crew originally said the Solar Impulse 2 was expected to land around 10:30 Wednesday night, but the planed ended up landing after that original destination time.

The plane took off from Phoenix around 3 a.m. Thursday, so it was in the air for over 17 hours.

Developers say the plane weighs about the same as a family car but has the wing span of a Boeing 747. The wings are so large to carry the solar panels that power the plane.

The sun charges the batteries and powers the plane during the day, allowing the plane to run on battery power at night.

There are two pilots who take turns flying the plane.

The flight started in Abu Dhabi last March, so half of the trip around the world is finished.

The time frame for flying depends on the weather forecast. With bad weather expected over the next few days the flight crew will likely spend several days in Tulsa.

The next major goal is making it to New York to prepare for the flight across the Atlantic.