Construction of the Solar Challenger began in AeroVironment's Simi Valley, California facility in 1980. Steve Ptacek flew the solar-powered aircraft from Corneille-en-Verin Airport, near Paris, to Manston Royal Air Force Base, England, near Dover, a distance of 163 miles, on July 7, 1981. Flight duration was 5 hours, 23 minutes. These photos are presented in low-resolution form. If you need high-resolution versions of any of these images, please contact me using email from the Home page. Click on any of the thumbnails to see a larger version.