Charlie just watched this for the second time. There are direct parallels with our hard deck discussions. The solar impulse team demonstrates the continual dicotemy between engineers/administrators and pilots. If they had done everything the engineers/administration wanted during the flight, they would have never suceeded. There is a time when its the pilot who has to call the shots and who has ultimate responsibility for his fate.

In the real world, specially in any form of racing or record setting, neither rules, regs, insentives nor disincentives amount to spit. The pilot makes decisions based on his temperment and his value system. Sometimes for the better, sometimes not.