( CNN ) Solar Impulse 2 has landed safely in Oman on the first leg of its quest to be the first plane to fly around the world fueled only by the sun 's rays . The solar-powered plane took off from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates early on Monday with pilot Andre Borschberg at the controls for the 400-kilometer ( 250 mile ) flight . The journey was expected to take about 12 hours , but high winds of up to 11 knots delayed its landing , forcing Borschberg to fly in a holding pattern above Muscat until they dropped to safe levels . Once safely on the ground , Borschberg said he was `` extremely happy '' and `` looking forward to the rest of [ the ] adventure . '' Solar Impulse 2 's visit to Oman is a short pit-stop on its marathon 35,000-kilometer , five month journey across the globe , via India , Myanmar , China and the U.S . The plane is expected to be on the ground for just eight hours before it takes off again -- this time with pilot Bertrand Piccard in charge -- bound for Ahmedabad in India . The potentially historic flight had originally been due to take off on March 1 but its departure was postponed because of concerns about the weather after strong dust storms created hazy conditions . `` We have had a lot of sandstorms in Abu Dhabi , and also a lot of wind , sea breezes , higher than the limit , '' said the team 's meteorologist Luc Truellemans in an interview posted on Twitter and YouTube . By Monday morning , the skies had cleared sufficiently for takeoff , though there was a slight delay while technical checks were carried out , as pilot Andre Borschberg explained on Twitter . Eventually the plane got off the ground , under the watchful eye of fellow pilot Piccard . Monday 's journey to Oman was a relatively short one , compared to some of the longer legs , which will take up to five or six days and nights . Borschberg and Piccard will spend a total of 500 hours behind the controls over the entire trip , taking it in turns in the tiny 3.8-square meter single-seater cockpit . Before the takeoff , Piccard admitted the pair `` had `` butterflies in the stomach '' at the thought of getting underway after working on the project for so long . On Sunday , the pair joked about tossing a coin for the right to fly first , before tearfully revealing that they had already decided who would be doing what . `` Andre has worked on this airplane ... for 12 years , from the feasibility study until now ; it is more than natural that he takes the first step , '' said Piccard . Borschberg added : `` Bertrand deserves to fly the last leg , and to make the arrival in Abu Dhabi , completing the vision he created 15 years ago . '' The pair will also split ocean-flying duties : Piccard will take on the five-day , five-night journey across the Pacific , while Borschberg will tackle the Atlantic . Solar Impulse 's 72-meter ( 236-foot ) wingspan makes it wider than a Boeing 747 , but the plane weighs just 2.5 tons , lighter than a large SUV . The tiny cockpit will be packed with essentials for the journey -- enough food and water for a week -- as well as a parachute , life raft and oxygen bottles in case of emergencies . Borschberg and Piccard , who piloted an earlier version of the plane across the U.S. in 2013 , are no strangers to adventure . Borschberg is a former fighter pilot , and Piccard was part of the first team to circumnavigate the earth nonstop in a balloon in 1999 .
Solar Impulse completes first leg of its round-the-world flight , from Abu Dhabi to Oman . Pilot Andre Borschberg was at the controls ; Bertrand Piccard will tackle the second journey . Comment: