On 3 July, 117 hours and 52 seconds after take off, Borschberg landed his plane in Kalaeloa, a small airport outside Honolulu – smashing several important aviation records in one go, including the longest solo-pilot non-stop flight ever made and the longest solar power flight, in terms of both distance and duration.
If you didn't read the story, here's the gist: commuter airline pilots work non-stop and sleep almost never; if and when they do get to sleep, they are lucky if they can snuggle up inside a recycling bin behind the terminal, since they can't afford hotels.
A daredevil and stunt pilot, Nichols also has a long list of firsts: first woman licensed seaplane pilot, first to fly non-stop from New York to Miami, first woman to land in all 48 contiguous United States, co-founder of the "Ninety-Nines," first woman to hold three international speed records (speed, altitude and long distance), and a pilot who flew faster than any other woman in 1958.
The Solar Impulse 2 broke a number of records with its latest flight, including longest distance for solar-powered flight, longest duration for solar-powered flight, and longest non-stop solo-pilot flight of any kind (made possible because the plane doesn't need to stop for refueling).
During the short flight, Sultan – a former Bangladesh air force pilot who was also an instructor for the airline – talked non-stop as he tried to impress upon the junior co-pilot his competence and proficiency.
In 1927, Charles Lindbergh, a twenty-five-year-old stunt flier and airmail pilot from Minnesota, made the world's first non-stop transatlantic solo flight, from New York to Paris, and became an international hero.
(Congress awarded her honorary Major Wings that she wore with her pearls).* In 1935, she was the first pilot to solo across the Pacific — from Honolulu to Oakland — and to solo non-stop from Los Angeles to Mexico.
It has plenty of pitfalls and the potential to fail, but critics who viewed the pilot episode were impressed not only by its timeliness but also by its almost non-stop action, which makes it surprisingly escapist too.
After visiting his sister who lived in La Cañada, Max Conrad, chief pilot for the Minneapolis Honeywell Co., became the first man to fly a Piper Cub non-stop from Los Angeles to New York.
Piccard made the first non-stop balloon flight around the world in 1999, while Borschberg, a former Swiss Air Force fighter pilot, has had brushes with death involving an avalanche and a helicopter crash.
Across 11 pilot cities, Uber will be sending out reminders for drivers to take a break if they've been driving non-stop for too long, ensuring alert and well-rested hands on the wheel.
