The Solar Powered Plane – It Lives!

Mad scientists don't usually hang around in Switzerland, tinkering around with their crazy ideas and running after them down the asphalt.

Thankfully Bertrand Piccard, who flew the Breitling Orbiter hot air balloon around the world in 1999, isn't mad.  In fact, this idea may just fly.

In 2003 he and the Solar Impulse Foundation announced their intention to fly a Solar Powered Plane around the world.  In 2007, they started to build it.

Now the plane has taken it's first small, but confident, steps.