A 63-year-old former Swiss Air Force pilot and a hypnotherapist five years his junior with a penchant for hot-air balloon exploration completed a round-the-world trip in a solar-powered airplane, predicting that within a decade, commercial flights with electric aircraft will become a reality.
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In a statement this week, Mr Borschberg said it was no longer a question of whether it was possible to fly without fuel or polluting emissions.
Commenting on the achievement, Initiator, Chairman and Pilot Bertrand Piccard said “This is not only a first in the history of aviation; it’s before all a first in the history of energy”.
This is a historic day for Captain Piccard and the Solar Impulse team, but it is also a historic day for humanity. Applications for 3D modeling of complex structures and composites, digital simulation and full data traceability enabled them to virtually experience the aircraft in its operating environment before it embarked on its record-setting voyage, and be successful with the first attempt. In conquering every hazard thrown up by the challenge of new technology powering the prototype purely on a renewable energy source through 17,000 solar cells on its long wings, the two Swiss pilots, Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg, have proved their point in splendid manner. “It demonstrates clearly that with pioneering spirit and clean technologies, we can run the world without consuming the earth”.
And when battery damage was sustained on that epic five-day, five-night passage over the western Pacific in June/July 2015, the decision was taken to ground the effort for 10 months.
“You are helping pilot us to that future through your vision, your determination, your courage, and your inspiration and also your great example”, said Ban.
Beyond this historic milestone, the two Swiss pioneers will continue to urge the global implementation of energy-efficient solutions through the creation of the International Committee for Clean Technologies and leverage the expertise and technology gained over the years in Solar Impulse by launching new innovative projects, such as the development of solar powered drones. “Emotions, tears, relief, exhilaration is what we are all feeling right now after completing the first round-the-world solar flight in history”.
The plane made stops in Oman, India, Myanmar, China, Japan, the U.S., Spain, Italy, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates. Let’s take it further, ” Piccard said, arriving into Abu Dhabi to cheers and applause. We are not sure if the Swiss team behind Solar Impulse plans to do this, but they might attempt it if they ideal the craft. The flight was sponsored mainly by UAE-based Masdar, the Abu Dhabi government’s clean-energy company.
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The path of Solar Impulse is shown in this graphic released by organizers of the sun-powered flight project.
