DOCSLIB.ORG

TO CHANGE the an Idea Born in Switzerland WORLD to Be Continued… 2 / RTW LOGBOOK 1ST PART / SOLAR IMPULSE

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
TO CHANGE the an Idea Born in Switzerland WORLD to Be Continued… 2 / RTW LOGBOOK 1ST PART / SOLAR IMPULSE EXPLORATION TO CHANGE the An idea born in Switzerland WORLD to be continued… 2 / RTW LOGBOOK 1ST PART / SOLAR IMPULSE SOLAR IMPULSE “A WEAPON […] TO SHOW AN AMBASSADOR THE NEED TO POWER FOR A H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco OUR WORLD ON CLEAN CLEAN FUTURE A technological and One could easily imagine oneself in a human adventure SIR RICHARD BRANSON Jules Verne novel: a team wanting to that encapsulates ENERGY” promote renewable energies sets off the challenges of around the world in a solar airplane, the 21st century and shows change aiming to fly without fuel or pollution… is possible. A new utopia? A great science fiction scenario? On the contrary, an innovative technological challenge! A project ambi- tious enough to arouse the emotions and unleash passions: to harness clean and renewable energies and use them freely to fly day and night. Is it possible to invent a more responsible future? The only way to find out is to try… with the necessary means. By writing new pages of aviation history using solar energy, Solar Impulse is demonstrating the enormous potential of clean technologies for energy saving and renewable energy production. James Cameron A great way to attract attention to the issue of solar energy. 4 / RTW LOGBOOK 1ST PART / PIONEERING SPIRIT STRATOSPHERIC BALLOON FNRS Auguste Piccard Invention of the pressurized cabin and first ascent into the stratosphere in 1931, reaching an altitude of 16,000 m/52,000 feet. “A GIANT STEP FORWARD SENDING A STRONG MESSAGE TO PEOPLE BATHYSCAPHE TRIESTE AROUND THE WORLD” PIONEERING SPIRIT Jacques Piccard BAN KI-MOON The construction EXPLORING of the bathyscaphe (invented by Auguste) and deepest dive ever BREITLING THE UNKNOWN ORBITER 3 BALLOON With each of their great “firsts”, the adven- to the bottom of the Mariana Trench at Bertrand Piccard turers of the last century constantly pushed 10,916 m/36,000 feet. First non-stop balloon back the limits of the impossible. Today, flight around the world, the drive to make new discoveries must go and the longest flight on, with the aim of improving quality of life in distance and duration on our planet. in aviation history 45,000 km/27,900 miles “The question now is not so much whether in 20 days humans can go even further afield and populate other planets, but rather how to organize things so that life on Earth becomes more worthy of living.” wrote Auguste Piccard in 1931. In line with the Piccard Family tradition of scientific exploration and protection of the environment, Solar Impulse wants to demonstrate that clean technologies can achieve impossible goals. If an airplane can fly day and night with no fuel, everybody could use these same technologies on the ground to save natural resources. One of our ambitions with Solar Impulse is to challenge conventional thinking to inspire innovation, hope and action among citizens and key opinion leaders. Human endurance 6 / RTW LOGBOOK 1ST PART / THE PILOTS for a flight lasting 5 consecutive days and nights Tailor-made autopilot THE PILOTS incorporating a flight-envelope BERTRAND PICCARD ANDRÉ BORSCHBERG monitoring system capable THE FLYING A medical doctor, explorer and An engineer by education, of alerting the pilot through lecturer, achieved the first ever a graduate of Massachusetts vibrations on his arms non-stop Round-the-World Institute of Technology and an EXPLORER balloon flight. Initiator of Solar entrepreneur, André Borschberg In an unpressurized and unheated cockpit Impulse, he brought together has solid experience in creating for very long flight durations, will have to the partners to fund this project. and managing companies, as demonstrate outstanding endurance and Linking science with adventure to well as in flying. As co-founder vigilance in spite of extreme conditions. promote clean technologies, he of Solar Impulse, his passion develops the project’s philosophy for aviation and his interest and outlines its symbolic and in innovative solutions have political reach. led him to develop the strategy to design and build the Solar Impulse airplanes. Tests of vigilance carried out 4 times a day THE SYNERGY BETWEEN THESE Fatigue management TWO MEN IS A KEY through self-hypnosis and meditation techniques SUCCESS FACTOR OF Daily requirement THE PROJECT AS WELL for nourishment 2.4 kg (5.2 lbs.) of food, AS AN APPEALING 2.5 l (84.5 oz.) of water HUMAN STORY and 1 l (33.8 oz.) of sports drinks Intelligent nylon fiber used in pilot’s clothing for a stable body temperature Resting strategy about 12 x 20 mins André by Bertrand Bertrand by André during a 24 h cycle I, who have always Bertrand is a over unpopulated done things by intu- pioneer, but not a areas ition and imagination, dreamer. He has found myself beside an a disconcerting entrepreneur with an way of thinking: Living space of 3.8 m3 impressive capacity to Always going fitted with a couchette work and think ahead. beyond common Our association made assumptions. But seat with integrated toilet the perfect equation: isn’t that the only 1 + 1 = 3 which resulted way to reach the in Solar Impulse. impossible? Live satellite connection to the Mission Control Center Wingspan 8 / RTW LOGBOOK 1ST PART / THE PLANE of a B-747 Jumbo Jet 72 m (236 ft) André Borschberg Between the vision THE PLANE and its implemen- Weight tation, there are of a family car numerous challenges 2,300 kg (5,070 lbs) FLYING to be met. However, it is extremely important to LABORATORY 17,248 photovoltaic What major civil and military aircraft transform ideas into reality. solar cells makers thought impossible has been achieved by the ingenuity of the Solar only 135 microns thick, Impulse team. the width of a hair Maximum power 4 engines of 13.5 kw (17.4 hp) Average power over 24 h of a small motorcycle Unpressurized and unheated cockpit for a solo pilot A REVOLUTION A MAJOR ADVANCE IN MATERIALS, LIGHTWEIGHT TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY DEMONSTRATING Maximum cruising THE POTENTIAL altitude of 8,500 m (27,000 ft) OF CLEAN TECHNOLOGY Maximum indicated air speed of 90 km/h (49 kts) EILLE OL M S EN N T E SUN ANGLE 15% ANGLE DES RAYONS 12° SOLARIMPULSE.COM FOLLOW US ON: 10 / RTW LOGBOOK 1ST PART / T HE MILESTONES MISSION CONTROL CENTER THE MILESTONES EILLE OL M S EN N T E AROUND THE SUN ANGLE WORLD WITH CAPCOM FLIGHT DIRECTOR MISSION MATHEMATICIANS METEOROLOGISTS AIR TRAFFIC 15% is responsible manages the team, ENGINEERS calculate the flight analyze the weather CONTROLLERS ANGLE DES RAYONS for direct voice and together with the draw up the flight parameters, forecasts to find coordinate the flight 12° NO FUEL communications with pilot, takes the main plan and monitor taking into account a favorable routing trajectory with 35,000 km only powered by solar energy the pilot. strategic decisions.. the aircraft’s meteorological data, for the flight. regional control from Abu Dhabi, our departure and arrival technical data. amount of sunshine centers. Host City, to Oman, India, Myanmar, China, and air traffic restrictions. Japan, U.S.A, back to Europe and Abu Dhabi. As with all great firsts, there are no bench- marks. Solar Impulse 2 will have to do what 11.6% 10% 9.2% 9.9% no airplane has ever done before: fly days and nights without using any fuel to cross BATTERY CHARGE STATE oceans from one continent to the next. ON ARRIVAL IN HAWAII AFTER Strategies have to be invented from scratch. 117 H 52 MIN / 8,924 KM NAGOYA JAPAN NANJING CHINA 11.6% 10% 9.2% 9.9% ABU DHABI UAE AHMEDABAD MID USA NEW YORK INDIA MANDALAY USA MYANMAR ABU DHABI UAE PACIFIC CROSSING ATLANTIC CROSSING SOUTHERN CHONGQING EUROPE CHINA OR NORTHERN VARANASI WEST COAST AFRICA MUSCAT INDIA USA OMAN HAWAII USA ACHIEVED FROM MARCH AN EPIC IN 14 STAGES HISTORIC TO JULY 2015: 35,000 KM CHALLENGE + 8 FAI WORLD RECORDS 25 DAYS OF ACTUAL FLIGHTS 8 FLIGHTS 500 FLYING HOURS 7 COUNTRIES 3.8 M3 UNPRESSURIZED 19,957 KM AND UNHEATED COCKPIT 255 FLIGHT HOURS 9 MARCH 2015 Pilot Flights Flight Time Distance Max Altitude Flight Simulations Batteries Charge at Arrival Solar Energy Produced André Borschberg 1 /14 13 h 01 m 772 km 6,383 m 300 36.9% 383 kWh 12 / LEG 1 / ABU DHABI TO MUSCAT MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST LEG 1 / ABU DHABI TO MUSCAT André Borschberg READY FOR Richard Branson I see technology Congrats Solar changing much faster Impulse, beating than we are able to TAKE OFF ! Virgin GlobalFlyer think. We seem to After months of intense preparation, record non-stop be constantly behind training and simulations, Solar Impulse 2 solo flight without “SOLAR-POWERED what is possible. The was ready to attempt the first solar flight refuelling. Huge challenge is to build around the world. On 9 March 2015, André step forward. PLANE BEGINS HISTORIC up the spirit that lets 8:16PM – 10 Mar 2015 us develop in line with Borschberg took off at Si2’s controls for the AROUND-THE-WORLD pace of technology. first stage of this round-the-world odyssey. Bertrand Piccard joined him in Oman, FLIGHT” took over the controls and continued the CBS SAN FRANCISCO – CBS LOCAL journey across the Arabian Sea. The two of them then took turns flying this single- seat experimental prototype with virtually unlimited endurance. As they encountered new horizons and each staging post dotted along their way, a whole team was beside them sharing the epic challenge. Their job: to anticipate and develop strategies, to prepare, track and receive the aircraft, and not least to communicate and spread news about the venture.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Ten Years Ago, Borschberg Flew up to 9235M Onboard Solar Impulse
    PRESS RELEASE For 8 July 2020 Ten years ago, Borschberg flew up to 9235m onboard Solar Impulse Lausanne, Switzerland, 1 July 2020 – Ten years ago on 8 July 2010, Swiss pilot André Borschberg established an extraordinary FAI world record, which remains unbeaten, by reaching the altitude of 9235m with an aircraft powered by the energy of the sun. The flight was made at the Payerne air base, Switzerland, with one-seater airplane Solar Impulse. During this flight, he set two other records: Gain of height (8744m) and Duration (26h10m19s), also in the Solar-Powered Airplane category. He took off on 7 July and landed the next day, thus making the first overnight flight in the history of solar aviation. These three records marked the first official recognition of the Solar Impulse’s performances. In the following years, FAI ratified a series of records by either pilots Bertrand Piccard or André Borschberg onboard two different Solar Impulse aircraft. HB-SIA, rolled out in 2009, was used until 2013 to make several solar aviation firsts, such as the July 2010 flight and the 2013 crossing of the USA in several legs. HB-SIB, presented to the public in 2014, was flown alternately by Piccard and Borschberg to complete the circumnavigation of Earth in several legs from 2015 to 2016. André Borschberg, now 67, considers himself an entrepreneur with a passion for exploration. Pursuing his childhood dream of flying, he trained as a pilot in the Swiss Air Force and then earned several degrees in engineering and management. In 2003, he met fellow countryman and adventurer Bertrand Piccard, who, in 1999, achieved the first non-stop ballooning flight around the world.
    [Show full text]
  • Solar Impulse 2 Pilot Becomes Aviation Legend 4 July 2015, by Marie-Noëlle Blessig
    Solar Impulse 2 pilot becomes aviation legend 4 July 2015, by Marie-Noëlle Blessig case of an anomaly. Before taking off, the pilot said that this journey would be an "extraordinary occasion to discover myself". When he landed he tweeted "it's a dream coming true". Borschberg partnered with Swiss psychiatrist and balloonist Bertrand Piccard to launch the unprecedented flight around the world on a plane powered exclusively by solar energy. Solar Impulse 2 set off from Abu Dhabi earlier this Solar Impulse 2 pilot Bertrand Piccard (L) and pilot year in a multi-leg attempt to fly around the world Andre Borschberg celebrate after Borschberg landed at without using any fuel. Kalaeloa Airport, Hawaii on July 3, 2015 The plane will now be flown across the United States and eventually, if all goes according to plan, land back in Abu Dhabi next March. At 62 years of age, Swiss Solar Impulse 2 pilot Andre Borschberg has made aviation history with a It has 17,000 solar cells and onboard rechargeable record breaking solo flight across the Pacific that lithium batteries, allowing it to fly through the night. he has called "an interior journey". After travelling more than 8,000 kilometres (4,900 miles) on the latest leg of the round-the-world trip, he arrived in Hawaii Friday. His Pacific flight from Japan totalled 118 hours, almost five full days, smashing the previous record for the longest nonstop solo flight of 76 hours and 45 minutes set by US adventurer Steve Fossett in 2006. The Swiss pilot's arduous journey was by no means in the lap of luxury.
    [Show full text]
  • Activity 2 World of Power
    PLANET POWER ACTIVITIES GUIDE PAGE 3 © 2018 N3D Land Films GRADES K-2 REPRODUCIBLE MASTER ACTIVITY 2 WORLD OF POWER Part 1. Most of the electricity we use in our homes and schools is produced, or generated, in power plants. Some power plants burn fossil fuels that are found underground. These are non-renewable energy sources because they can’t be replaced after they are burned. Energy from the sun is a renewable energy source because we can keep using it without ever running out. Circle the renewable energy sources below: sunlight natural gas rivers uranium cow manure coal wind Burning fossil fuels can hurt the environment, because more greenhouse gases are produced, and mining and drilling can also have negative effects. But there’s hope! As we see from Planet Power and the fl ight of Solar Impulse 2, renewable energy sources can save money, help the Earth, and power our lives! Part 2. Solar Impulse 2 was the fi rst plane to fl y around the world using only solar power. Bertrand Piccard, André Borschberg, and their team worked for 13 years to make it happen! The trip took more than a year and 17 separate fl ights. The map below shows the path of Solar Impulse 2 and the countries where it stopped along the way. Write the letters in the circles on the map to show the places where the plane stopped as it traveled around the world. You may wish to decorate your map by adding colors and/or textures to represent land, oceans, etc.
    [Show full text]
  • Solar Impulse
    EXPLORATION TO CHANGE THE WORLD! SOLAR IMPULSE 03. Today’s pioneering aviators stand on the shoulders of giants. Between QUIZ 1891-96 Otto Lillienthal made the first successful non-powered gliding flights. In 1903, Orville and Wilber Wright made the first controlled powered flights. In 01. 1927, Charles Lindbergh was the first to fly solo from New York to Paris. Six years later, Wiley Post flew a Lockheed What are the problems caused by Vega around the world. using fossil energy? * In 2016, what are the names of the a. When fossil fuels burn, they release two pioneering Solar Impulse pilots pollutants into the atmosphere. that are continuing to push the b. Fossil fuels were made millions of years ago and are non-renewable. boundaries of flight? c. Fossil fuels are a limited resource. d. Fossil fuels release greenhouse __________________ gases that alter the climate. e. All of the above __________________ 02. 04. Complete this sentence with the List three challenges the Solar right group of words: Impulse engineers tackled during the airplane’s construction. “____________________ Hint: think about energy usage is/are a solution to fight climate change”: and weight restrictions a. Fossil fuels Collecting ______________ b. Clean technologies c. Not using any energy Optimizing ______________ Saving ________________ *Multiple answers possible 05. What ultralight innovative composite material is used in the airplane’s structure? a. Carbon-fiber reinforced plastic b. Carbon fiber and honeycomb sandwich paper structure c. “Papier-mâché” 06. 08. How does Solar Impulse fly through What activity/ies is/are practiced the night? by the pilot to remain alert during * a.
    [Show full text]
  • Solar Present
    Solar present Written by: OECD Last update: 23 January 2020 © ©IMAGINECHINA/AF Solar present | Picture for Solar present ªWe are not in the future. The rest of the world is in the past.º Swiss innovator Bertrand Piccard whose round-the-world flight in a solar-powered plane absorbed the world's attention and imagination in 2015-16, does not mince words. Piccard proved that solar-powered transport is technically possible. What is needed now are investors and policymakers to help make it happen, not least by providing legal frameworks and cutting back on bureaucracy, he told a packed audience at the Big IdEAs distinguished speaker series, organised by the International Energy Agency and hosted by the OECD in September 2017. Mr Piccard was the initiator and visionary behind the plane. The first Solar Impulse plane took off in 2010, and was followed in 2015 by Solar Impulse 2, which Mr Piccard co-piloted with André Borschberg on a round-the-world trip, ending in July 2016. It was the very first airplane to circumnavigate the globe without fuel, propelled entirely by solar energy. Electric aviation for short-haul flights will be a reality within a decade, Mr Piccard bets. A medical doctor and explorer, Mr Piccard is a forward-thinking leader and activist on sustainability. It is not just about technology but about belief, understanding and determination, he says as he urges his audiences to break free 1 www.oecdobserver.org | Solar present of current paradigms in order to change the future. Mr Piccard is now leveraging his pioneering exploits to encourage investment in renewable energiesand build strategic alliances to confront climate change.
    [Show full text]
  • Lucy Luck Stefan Inducted Into the U
    Lucy Luck Stefan Inducted into the U. S. Ballooning Hall of Fame August 2, 2009 Born March 15, 1923 in St. Paul Minnesota Lucy’s interest, love and enthusiasm for flying probably began when she was eight years old when her oldest brother bought her a ride on an airplane at World Chamberlain Airport in Minneapolis. At an early age, her Dad described Lucy as a "Sparkplug". To her siblings she was "Sparky” and she still is!!! And she is definitely a “Sparkplug” in the history of ballooning. As one of the early women aeronautical engineering students at the university in Minnesota, she met Professor Jean Piccard and his balloonist wife Jeanette Piccard. Professor Piccard became one of her college professors. During her ballooning activities she flew with Tony Fairbanks in Philadelphia and met Tracy Barnes in Minneapolis and got to know such notable balloonists as Malcolm Forbes, Dewey Reinhart, Bertrand Piccard and Eddie Allen. Her Commercial Pilot, Lighter-Than-Air, Free Balloon License (limited to hot air balloons, with or without airborne heaters) is dated October 31, 1973. She received this in the early days of ballooning when all you had to do was sign your name on the license. She received her fixed wing aircraft pilot’s license when she was 40 years old, and has been around ballooning for fifty years. She was never actually a balloon pilot, but was a crew member and an observer for many years. Lucy has flown in both gas and hot air balloons. Her most spectacular flights were three that she had in Switzerland flying over the Swiss Alps and landing twice in Germany and once in Italy.
    [Show full text]
  • Solar Impulse
    Case Study CHANGING THE WORLD WITH SOLAR ENERGY SOLAR IMPULSE AROUND THE WORLD IN A SOLAR AIRPLANE »CENIT‘s expertise during installation and start-up helped us get off to a smooth start« Jonas Schär – head of the design team Running out of gas can be a frustrating experience. But it can The energy is new. The structure is new. It’s all so incredibly lead to other things. When Bertrand Piccard made the first non- complex. Our technical advisor told us we were crazy to stop around-the-world balloon flight in 1999, he took off with rely only on 3D digital software instead of building a physi- 3.7 tons of liquid propane; he landed 20 days later with only cal mock up. But we had confidence in these technologies.” 40 kilos left. “That was close,” Piccard said. “I was constantly Dassault Systèmes’ partner CENIT, implemented the 3DEXPER- afraid of running out of gas. It was so stressful that I promised IENCE platform at Solar Impulse, providing training and keeping myself that the next time I fly around the world it will be without the software up to date. “CENIT’s expertise during installation any fuel.” This was the beginning of the Solar Impulse adven- and start-up helped us get off to a smooth start,” Jonas Schär, ture. head of the design team, said. Piccard comes from a long line of pioneers. His grandfather, Auguste Piccard, designed a balloon with an airtight, pressur- Digital design and simulation ized cabin and became the first person to reach the stratosphere.
    [Show full text]
  • Optimal Design of a High-Altitude Solar- Powered Unmanned Airplane Bento Silva De Mattos1, Ney Rafael Secco1, Eduardo Francisco Salles1
    doi: 10.5028/jatm.v5i3.223 Optimal Design of a High-Altitude Solar- Powered Unmanned Airplane Bento Silva de Mattos1, Ney Rafael Secco1, Eduardo Francisco Salles1 ABSTRACT: This paper describes a multi-disciplinary design and optimization framework tailored for the conceptual INTRODUCTION development of high-altitude solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles. The aircraft baseline configuration that the The present work is concerned with the optimal design of framework is able to handle is very similar to that of Zephyr, which is developed by the UK based company QinetiQ. The unmanned high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) solar-powered disciplines of aerodynamics, structures, stability, weight, and airplanes. In order to accomplish this, a multi-disciplinary ® systems were considered and integrated into a modeFrontier design framework was elaborated employing the modeFrontier® workflow, capable of providing a relatively simple sizing, but (ESTECO, 2011) commercial optimization package. A brief highly realistic airplane. technical retrospective of the development on solar-driven KEYWORDS: Airplane design, Solar energy, Multi-disciplinary aircraft is provided in this section as well as the reasoning to design and optimization, Airplane stability and control. address the utilization of such kind of airplane. The first flight of a solar-powered aircraft took place on November 4th, 1974, when the remotely controlled Sunrise I, designed by Robert J. Boucher of AstroFlight, Inc., flew after a catapult launch (Noth, 2008). The flight lasted 20 minutes at an altitude of around 100 m (Noth, 2008). AeroVironment, Inc. was founded in 1971 by the ultra- light airplane innovator Paul MacCready. Following the AstroFlight’s airplane debut, AeroVironment undertook a more ambitious project to design a human-piloted, solar- powered aircraft.
    [Show full text]
  • Solar Impulse 2
    WORK IN PROGRESS Fig. 1 Non-stop, solar-powered ocean hop Lausanne, Switzerland-based Solar Impulse co-founders and Solar Impulse 2 co-pilots Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg celebrate Borschberg’s successful landing in Hawaii (inset shows the Si2 on its approach) after his five-day flight from Nagoya, Japan. Source | Solar Impulse Solar Impulse 2: Pulse on the future Not yet through their ‘round the world flight, this superlight solar plane’s airframe-proven materials are already destined for higher callings. By Donna Dawson / Senior Writer Emeritus » For anyone fascinated by aircraft, solar power and/or compos- the Si2’s ultralight composite airframe, which could not have been ites, Solar Impulse is a familiar name. It identifies the Lausanne, built for its purpose with other materials (no metal could be as Switzerland-based company that, in 2010, launched the self- light, stiff and strong as needed) and without which, the aircraft’s named Solar Impulse 1, the world’s first piloted aircraft to fly all story could not have been written at all. night on solar power alone. At this writing, its successor, Solar Impulse 2 (Si2), is at the halfway point of the first attempted solar- Halfway around the world on thin air(frame) powered around-the-world flight, with Solar Impulse founder and For this sun-powered bird, the essential prerequisite was an chairman Bertrand Piccard alternating at its controls with CEO extremely light aerostructure. The raw material that ultimately André Borschberg. satisfied this need proved to be very thin composite tapes. The On March 9, 2015, Si2 took off from Abu Dhabi in the United airframe’s main and rear wing spars, fuselage and empennage Arab Emirates, and, in eight legs, flew to Muscat, Omar, thence were constructed from thin-ply epoxy prepregs produced by North across India — stopping at Ahmedabad and Varanassi — on to Thin Ply Technology (NTPT, Penthalaz, Switzerland).
    [Show full text]
  • Press Kit 27 January - 04 February 2018 2
    PRESS KIT 27 January - 04 February 2018 2 SUMMARY 3 The poster of the 40th 4 Welcome message 5 Some figures 6 Useful information 7 Program of the Festival 12 Scheduled competitions 15 Pilots and balloons 2018 25 40 years in brief 32 Sponsors and partners 34 Map 35 Access and contact PRÉSENTE LE 40E FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DE BALLONS AGENCENEUE.COM 27 JANVIER - 04 FÉVRIER 2018 CHÂTEAU-D’OEX WWW.FESTIVALDEBALLONS.CH Avec le soutien des Communes de Château-d’Œx, Rossinière, Rougemont, Saanen et de Pays-d’Enhaut Tourisme 4 WELCOME MESSAGE MOMENTS OF SHARING The International Hot-air Balloon Festival has, over course of the last 40 years, become a top event for the whole region and even well beyond. You could of course count the number of flights, passengers and spectators during those 40 years, but it would be impossible to count the contacts that have been made during its history. They have shaped this event and to some extent the destiny of the region. Take, for example, when Hans Büker met Charles-André Ramseier, then head of the Tourist Office, back in 1978. The story that developed from that meeting is retold each January. The organising committee has decided to share this year, the 40th edition, with another major event, the 2019 Winegrowers Festival. The winegrowers will be bringing their own balloons and will be our guests of honour throughout the festival. The David Niven Cup will run from Monday to Thursday, paying homage to the man who christened International Hot-air Balloon Week and rewarding those who fly furthest in this challenging and tiring long-distance race.
    [Show full text]
  • Session Weekly March 26, 1999 Vol. 16, Number 12
    A Nonpartisan Publication of the Minnesota House of Representatives ♦ March 26, 1999 ♦ Volume 16, Number 12 HF2183-HF2291 Session Weekly is a nonpartisan publication of the Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Office. During the 1999-2000 Legislative Minnesota House of Representatives • March 26, 1999 • Volume 16, Number 12 Session, each issue reports daily House action between Thursdays of each week, lists bill introductions and upcoming committee meeting schedules, and pro- vides other information. The publication Reflections is a service of the Minnesota House. One could say it all started in Minnesota. No fee. On March 21, two men touched down in Egypt, miles past the point of completely circling the Earth for the first time in a hot-air balloon. To subscribe, contact: One of them was Swiss psychiatrist Bertrand Piccard, the grand-nephew Minnesota House of Representatives of Drs. Jean and Jeannette Piccard of Minnesota. Jean and Jeannette also Public Information Office made aviation history. In 1934, Jean accompanied his wife as she piloted 175 State Office Building a balloon to a point in the stratosphere that, at 57,979 feet, was higher than St. Paul, MN 55155-1298 had ever been reached before. By so doing, they broke the record held by Jean’s twin (651) 296-2146 or brother, Auguste. His record of 53,152 feet was set in 1932. 1-800-657-3550 Auguste Piccard also designed a pressurized balloon gondola — and his grandson TTY (651) 296-9896 Bertrand and fellow balloonist Brian Jones drew on that concept for their balloon trip around the earth.
    [Show full text]
  • Media Release Swiss Pioneers Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg Complete the First Ever Round- The-World Solar Flight– a Hi
    MEDIA RELEASE SWISS PIONEERS BERTRAND PICCARD AND ANDRE BORSCHBERG COMPLETE THE FIRST EVER ROUND- THE-WORLD SOLAR FLIGHT– A HISTORIC ACHIEVEMENT WITHOUT A DROP OF FUEL Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 26 July 2016 – Taking turns at the controls of Solar Impulse 2 (Si2) – their zero-emission electric and solar airplane, capable of flying day and night without fuel – Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg succeeded in their crazy dream of achieving the first ever Round-The-World Solar Flight. By landing back in Abu Dhabi after a total of 23 days of flight and 43’041 km travelled in a 17 leg journey, Si2 has proven that clean technologies can achieve the impossible. 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. Coming from Egypt, Bertrand Piccard landed in Abu Dhabi this morning at 4:05am local time (UTC+4) completing the final leg of an endeavor that was until now considered impossible: flying around the globe in an electric airplane powered only by the sun and capable of flying many days and nights in a row without fuel. This landing brings full circle to the historic circumnavigation that began on 9 March 2015 when Si2 set off from Abu Dhabi with André Borschberg at the controls. Taking turns in the single-seater 3.8m3 cockpit, Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg have flown Si2 around the world in 17 legs, crossing Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the USA, the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea and the Middle East.
    [Show full text]