Today Spain pushed E. Raymond and the Sunseeker to the limit. After taking off from Huesca and heading west, strong winds and airports few and far between diverted his course towards the Eastern coast. From the van we were unable to follow his route on the main highways and lost radio contact for several hours. We were able to keep some contact with cell phones - though only when he was low enough for service. From his position reports we interpolated that he was most likely at the same location as a towering thunderstorm to our north. By mid-afternoon E. Raymond was tangled in the midst of three developing thunderheads with a dark curtain of rain on the horizon between him and his goal. We were tentatively re-assured when we were no longer able to reach Eric on the cell phone, hoping that it meant he was flying too high for service, though we were hugely relieved when he finally checked in that he had managed to navigate through the weather and had the airport at Castellon in sight.

With its runway only a stone's throw from the beach, Castellon was a welcome refuge after an eventful day. We secured Sunseeker then walked across the street to a restaurant on the beach where E. Raymond filled us in on all the excitement that we missed in the sky.

The 2009 World Air Games in Torino are over. It was well organized and attended, and overall a great success. The weather was good, and there were no accidents. Eric Raymond flew the Sunseeker for demonstrations, and won a Gold Medal for the best Experimental aircraft. He also set two World Records for solar powered aircraft during the event. One for duration, the other for absolute altitude 20,387 feet. FAI ratification for these records is pending. The Sunseeker is now back in Zurich Switzerland, in preparation for the next leg of the European Tour, heading for the south of Spain.

With increasing north wind, and low cloud bases, I made my escape from Lesce airport, taking off before the crowd of waiting sailplanes. It was turbulent, but I was able to ridge soar up to the clouds and head south, where the weather was perfect, with no wind! The Adriatic sea was in sight, but my goal was to visit one of the world’s most innovative aircraft producers, so down I spiraled. Pipestrel welcomed the Sunseeker into their state of the art shop, and soon I was flying again, in a production Taurus motor glider. We soared for a while with some paragliders on the ridge over the shop, and then the test pilot let me land it. Very nice flying airplane. Tomorrow we head for Venice, weather permitting.

- Eric Raymond

> pictures from the flight

After a very nice visit to Diamond Aircraft at the Wiener Neustadt airport, we have relocated to Lesce Bled, Slovenia, just at the beginning of their sailplane national championships. Despite bad weather forecasts, the Sunseeker has been able to fly every day. Taking off just before the start of competition everyone watched, as I was able to take off from the grass, and climb up over the clouds. The views are spectacular here at the base of the Julian Alps, with lakes and castles to explore. Next stop is the Pipestrel aircraft factory a short distance to the south, with perhaps a detour to the coast.

- Eric Raymond

> pictures from the flight

> pictures from the flight

As thunderstorms were approaching Toblach, our host Erwin Auserhoffer arranged for a hanger not too far away. As it turns out, Erwin is a hang glider pilot also, and flew the same rigid wings that I used to fly. He flew in many contests also, and did very well.Taking off the grass at this altitude seemed a challenge but with perfect wind from the front it was no problem. The flight was very turbulent, but our destination Lienz was very nice and friendly, so we decided to take some time off to wait out the weather. We are planning to fly to Wiener Neustadt this week, to visit Diamond Aircraft.

- Eric Raymond

> pictures from the flight

Today I took off in the Sunseeker in front of about 40 sailplanes, as they waited for conditions to improve, just before noon. Once in the air, I found out why they were waiting as there were no updrafts at all. The air was still, so I slowly climbed on course to the east, using my combination of solar power and batteries. Without any updrafts I climbed 6000 feet in 45 minutes. Then coming to a paragliding hill I found some updrafts, so I shut off the motor. In front of me the mountains were higher and higher, with no end in sight. A strong west wind helped my progress, but made it very turbulent. At one point I was surprised to see 11 people cross country skiing very far from any valley. I think that there were brought in by helicopter. It made me feel not so alone in this land of endless snow and glaciers.

My host for the day met me in another airplane before I reached Toblach. As he had a television camera man onboard, we turned straight south, and flew around in the Dolomites for a few hours. I was flying too high for them, and the camera man nearly froze, with the door missing from the plane. I only opened my window to take pictures, as it was cold. The Dolomites have massive vertical rock spires that are amazing to see and fly around. You can see from these pictures. The landing field was grass, and I was surprised to find out quite high. After landing and taxiing in, I was immediately interviewed for television, by my host Erwin Ausserhofer. Despite the fact that we were in Italy, everyone spoke German, so I did the interview in German. This part of South Tyrol was part of Austria until the end of the First World War. All the signs are in German first and Italian second.

- Eric Raymond

> pictures from the flight

Four days ago we were introduced to the best pilot on the Adriatic, Captain Elio Rullo. He was quick to rearrange his fleet and bring our airplane into the protection of his hanger while we wait for a break in the high winds here (the wind farms surrounding us might have been a clue to expect these winds). Tonight we enjoyed our third dinner in a row with Elio at the best pizzaria in town - it's called Conca D'Oro if you're passing through.

Yesterday E. Raymond took the Sunseeker out for an evening flight after the winds had died down and Elio took me up to get a few photos. It's always fun to get the chance to fly alongside the Sunseeker, the airplane looks much more at home in the sky than it does on the ground. It was also great to get a chance to see the countryside from the air, the modern wind mills intermingled with ancient stone castles are a beautiful sight. So we're enjoying our time in Crotone, great people, great food and a beautiful location, but we're watching the weather closely and hoping that we'll get the chance to make a crossing to Sicily very soon.

Yesterday E. Raymond had no trouble reaching Salerno, and he was met with open hanger doors at Skydive Salerno. The Sunseeker spent another night protected indoors thanks to the good people at the parachuting school and we found a nice hotel down the street. After an enormous meal we went straight to bed to catch up on some much needed sleep.

Today E. Raymond had one of the most impressive flights of the trip so far. Starting on the western coast of Italy, he was able to climb above a thick cloud layer and cruise on direct solar power in smooth air all the way to Crotone on the coast of the Adriatic. It looks like we'll be covered by dark clouds for a few days here - though it's definitely a good place to be stuck!

Reluctantly, this morning we left Pavulo. Though we only spent one night, the beautiful little town in the hills above Modena made its impression on all of us. We almost hoped for bad weather so that we might have been able to stay longer! Alas, the morning winds were favorable from the north - we had to take advantage of it. We said our goodbyes to our new friends from Aeroclub Pavulo and E. Raymond took off at 11:40.

With good winds helping the Sunseeker, Floyd and I didn't have a chance keeping up in the van. After two hours, E. Raymond was already nearly 100 nautical miles in front of us. By the time we were caught in a hailstorm passing through Florence, he had nearly reached Rome and had been able to stay in front of, and above the stormy weather. At 16:30, E. Raymond landed at the Guidonia Montecelio Air Force base just outside of Rome - approximately a 170 nautical mile trip. At first there was a bit of excitement at the base with the arrival of a solar-powered airplane - apparently it is not the most common type of aircraft to land at the base! Floyd and I arrived two and a half hours later and by then everyone was well settled and the Sunseeker was nested safely in a hanger for the night. We met with the base Commander and he was even so kind to arrange our accommodations in town.

We bid adieu to our hosts at the Park Hotel in Salice Terme and made our way to Voghera for a morning take-off into, what looked like, a perfect day. E. Raymond and the Sunseeker took off at 11:30 - by 1:00 it was clear that a fierce easterly wind would hold us back from our goal of Arezzo. Even so, he was able to climb above 3,000 meters and make 90 nautical miles of progress into the Apennine Mountains. Around 16:00 we arrived in Pavulo, in the Emilia-Romania region, with Raymond circling overhead.

There was a warm welcome from everyone at Aeroclub Pavulo. They saw to it that the Sunseeker was well cared for and that we were well fed. We continue to be amazed by the hospitality extended to us as we make our way through Italy. It is a real pleasure for us to make new friends wherever we go - and also to see people's reactions to the solar powered airplane, it generates a real sense of wonder. From the people we meet, we definitely get the sense that there is a bright future for solar-powered aviation.

This morning is the last time that I will confuse the meanings of 'freddo' and 'caldo.' It is also the last time that I will eat corn flakes with warm milk...

The storm has passed and it looks like the weather is starting to break up. Forecasts call for Wednesday to be the first day of sun, but we might have a chance to fly as soon as this afternoon. The past couple days have been dark grey and wet. We've taken the time to explore our surroundings, including a short bike trip to a small ancient villiage at the top of the nearest hill, but we are ready to move on and are watching the skies eagerly for a crack in the clouds.

Our next goal is Arezzo, approximately 160 nautical miles south, along the Apennine Mountain range.

Last night we enjoyed a fantastic meal with great company. Our hosts, a group of paraglider pilots and aeromodelers, took us to a restaurant in a small town neighboring Torino where we shared flying stories and excellent food. Thanks guys! We'll look forward to seeing you again in June.

Today, during a break in the weather which only lasted a few hours, we were able to make a quiet exit from Torino. E. Raymond flew east approximately 100 km to Voghera, where he landed when the clouds closed in and it began to rain. We'll be waiting here for another break in the weather, then we continue south.

Solar Flight's European Tour squad; Floyd Fronius, Eric Raymond and myself (Eric Lentz Gauthier), took to the streets of old town Torino by bicycle. We found a nice restaurant at the base of the impressive Mole Antonelliana and, after a good meal, did some exploring of the beautiful town center. Despite our best efforts to get lost, we managed to find our way back to the hotel after a great night out on the town.

We have spent the past few days at Aero Club Torino. Yesterday there was an incredible thunderstorm, for a while it seemed more like we were under water than it did we were being rained on. We are working with pilots and organizers of the World Air Games to plan the best route for the rest of our flights here in Italy. We have received great advice from the local experts about weather conditions, airspace considerations and the best airports for us to use.

99 years after the first crossing of the Alps in an airplane by Geo Chávez flying a Blériot XI, today Eric Raymond completed the first crossing of the Alps made by a solar airplane! "The most scenic flight of my life," as he put it, also had its intense moments. Eric took off from Buttwil, Switzerland at 11:40 and flew to the edge of the mountain range. With help from thermals, he was able to reach the base of the clouds at 2700 meters, from here he tapped into the fully charged batteries to climb above the cloud layer where it was bright enough that he was able to maintain a steady climb on direct solar power. E. Raymond had been cruising above the clouds for several hours when the conditions below him quickly began to overdevelop. He soon found himself trapped with thunderheads towering above him on all sides and near whiteout conditions from snow blowing out the sides of the clouds. His first attempt to descend through a small crack in the cloud layer by opening speed brakes and shutting the motor down was thwarted by a violent 5 meter/second updraft. With some work, he was able to find an equally violent downdraft and descend out of the storm.

"It was one of the most difficult things that I have ever done, but it was also the most beautiful flight I have ever made. It was very cloudy, but after fighting to gain altitude I got over the clouds and cruised on direct solar power, eventually climbing to 13,700 ft. It was amazing to see the peaks of the mountains coming upthrough the clouds. I could clearly see the Matterhorn and Mt Blanc over the clouds. I could not see anything in the direction of Italy, except a solid wall of clouds. I tried to climb over them on course for Torino, but I had to fly between towering cumulo-nimbus clouds. I was in bright sun, when I noticed that I was flying through large snowflakes. That was the first sign of trouble. Soon I was trapped over these rising clouds, with my escape closed off. I was climbing at full power, but the clouds were rising faster. It was snowing on me, even though I was in the sun! Desperately flying around in my shrinking trap I found a small hole, where I could see the ground. Just snow and trees. I turned off the motor, set the airbrakes, and spiraled down 7000 ft, until I was just under the clouds. I wanted to take a picture of the snow, but I couldn’t take my hands from the controls. After feeling desperate about flying through clouds in a blinding snowstorm, I felt much better seeing that the clouds did not go all the way to the ground. I even flew with a sailplane and a paraglider, so I did not feel so alone. Because of the thunderstorms, I left the Alps early, and had a long crossing over the Italian flats. It seemed to take forever to get to Torino, but in reality the entire flight took less than 5.5 hours. TV crews were waiting, and we saw the story on the national news that night in our hotel, just before a nice dinner with our hosts, the organizers of the World Air Games 2009. We are now preparing to continue down the length of Italy, to Sicily."

- Eric Raymond

Thanks to the Skylark aeroclub at Buttwil for all their support!

> pictures from the flight

There has been an update to the forecasts. We had decent conditions today here in Switzerland and the strong headwinds working against a flight to Italy have disappeared. It looks like tomorrow will be as good, if not better and E. Raymond is going to make his first attempt to cross the Alps with a destination in Torino. We are aiming for a takeoff time of 11 o'clock and expect approximately a 4-hour flight. If successful, it will be the first time a solar aircraft has ever crossed the mountain range.

E. Raymond flew the Sunseeker today for a final confirmation that it's systems are working properly. He reported extremely turbulent conditions below the cloud base, but the airplane performed perfectly. The plan tomorrow will be to climb above the tops of the clouds for the majority of the flight. Above the clouds the air is generally smooth and the Sun shines bright.

Spent the day at Buttwil again today, making final preparations of the Sunseeker as we continue to wait for a shift in the weather. Forecasts now show a front passing through, giving us rain for the next few days and perfect conditions hopefully by the end of next week. We're crossing our fingers!

It was the first big weekend for the sailplane club at Buttwil and I jumped at the chance to make an aerobatic flight in the club's ASK-21. It gave me an opportunity to see, from the air for the first time, just what E. Raymond will be up against with his first flight. Buttwil is a beautiful grass strip surrounded by picturesque rolling green hills, cottage villages and crystal blue lakes. The tow plane released us at 2000 meters and here we were still below the halfway mark of the enormous white wall of craggy peaks to the south. The mountain range is nothing if it is not intimidating. The first peaks look two-dimensional just from the sheerness with which they rise from the landscape. Behind them are only more mountains that disappear at a confused horizon of snowy peaks and thick layers of clouds. Though you can't see them from outside, the highest peaks at the center of the Alps are double the altitude of those at the border. It is quite an ambitious feat that we have chosen for the first hop of our Tour!

We have been enjoying our time in historic Friedrichshafen, Germany - the home of the Zeppelin airship factory. Last night we were very impressed to see a Zeppelin NT moored in the field adjascent to our camp grounds. There is something incredibly romantic about a such an impressive ship floating so gracefully, as if it were a cloud.

After Eric Raymond spoke to an audience at the E-flight forum about his experience with solar powered aircraft and what they might hold in store for the future of sport aviation, he and the Sunseeker were presented with the first semi-annual E-flight award for the most innovative project at the E-flight expo. It is a tremendous honor for us, especially considering the breadth of inspiring projects that have joined us here in Friedrichshhafen.

© 2009 Solar Flight