If you thought Paris Hilton left behind some serious skid marks following a nasty prank in Dubai, then spare a thought for the poor bugger piloting the solar-powered plane around the world.

That man’s name is Andre Borschberg and, after being grounded due to adverse weather conditions, he has now taken to the skies. His solo flight will see him travel from Japan to Hawaii, a more than 8 000 km journey that is expected to take five full days.

So what is he up against and why will this be the most challenging part of the journey? Over to CNN:

Soaring high above the water, Borschberg now faces hazards that could cripple his plane or even send it into the ocean, including turbulent winds and bad weather; mechanical malfunctions; and the pilot’s ability to remain alert and fly the plane.

The question we are all wondering, I imagine, is what happens if the plane doesn’t have enough solar energy stored once night falls? It isn’t pretty:

Without enough energy in the batteries a night flight is impossible. The plane would have to make an emergency landing. That would be possible if it is flying over land, but if it is over the sea, the pilot could be electrocuted when the plane enters the water. The pilot would be obliged to bail out.

And five days and nights of flying, what about getting some shut-eye?

Above the ocean, sleep will be allowed in the form of short naps lasting up to 20 minutes, 10-12 times a day…

The plane is equipped with an electronic system called a Stability Augmentation System that stabilizes the plane’s flight path and alerts the pilot in his sleep if there is a problem. Cloth armbands placed over the pilot’s arms are connected to an instrument developed by Omega that displays the bank angle of the plane. As soon as the bank angle goes beyond 5°, the armbands start to vibrate and an audible alarm wakes the pilot.

Rather you than me Mr. Borschberg, I like my rest in eight-hour uninterrupted spells of deep sleep.

You can follow the historic flight with a live video feed from the cockpit HERE.

[source:cnn]