The batteries allow an endurance of about two hours in darkness. The previous altitude record for a solar-powered aircraft was 14,000 feet. It now also holds an unofficial record of 67,350 feet, reached during the tests from the Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility. Pathfinder is resuming test flights from the U.S. Navy s facility on the Hawaiian island of Kauai in mid-1997. Kauai s lower latitude provides a better angle for Pathfinder's solar cells to absorb radiation from the sun, and its prevailing northerly winds allow Pathfinder to be oriented to the best sun angle for longer periods.
Pathfinder flies very slow, within a narrow speed range.
Takeoff is at about 17 mph, cruise speed is about 21 mph, and it climbs at 150 fpm. Because of its slow speeds Pathfinder flights are meticulously planned around the weather. Winds during takeoff and landing need to be less than 12 mph. Mission simulations are flown before, and even during a flight to negotiate changing weather. Pathfinder mostly flies by autopilot, with a pilot and flight test engineer commanding the mission from the ground.