Solar Impulse - First Solar Flight Around the World Without Fuel

“I want to inspire others to achieve the impossible”, said Piccard. Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg are co-founders of Solar Impulse, a company that produced the first solar aircraft capable of flying day and night without a single drop of fuel. This is the first in of its kind in history. These two Swiss pilots have over the last decade worked on the project they consider as clean and green, and have met success amidst challenges. In 2010, they completed and successfully flew the first project- Solar Impulse, which according to them is a prototype of the Solar Impulse 2. Solar Impulse 2 is a solar airplane designed

and manufactures by a team of engineers of Solar Impulse under the supervision of André. This aeorplane is being prepared for a tour around the world in mid May 2015 in a 5 days five nights non-stop flight using solely solar energy without a single drop of fuel. A test (simulated) flight is scheduled for August 2014. The design, structure, and technology are mostly virgin. This is a product of resilience, motivation, and innovation

The Story:

During the official presentation of Solar Impulse 2 on 9^th April 2014, Piccard told the story of their journey and I quote (not verbatim), “Each time I look at this aeroplane, I have the memory of my childhood coming back. It’s the Walt Disney animation cartoon of Dumbo. This baby elephant was born with ears so enormous that everybody was making fun of it until it could deploy its ears (as wings) and flew. When Solar Impulse was born 12 years ago, and we could show the enormous wings and the lightweight of its structure on computer design, all the specialists in the world of aviation started to laugh. Today, this aeroplane exists. It’s the most incredible aeroplane of its time. It can fly with no fuel day and night, and we hope we can make it round the world. But what strikes me even more than the technology that makes this plane fly is the quality of the people who are part of solar Impulse- the Team. These had a high threshold to cope with all the anxiety, question marks, the problems, difficulties, questions with no answers in order to find the solutions. I have a huge respect for the team. All the specialists knew it was impossible to make a plane like that so we had to find people who did not know it was impossible - partners who brought the technology and funding in order to make this project a reality”.

This aeroplane is a lightweight, relatively high altitude, low speed aircraft with non-pressurized cabin, yet with every amazing technology needed to keep the occupant comfortable during the flight. Although this project has a small payload capacity, it however gives an insight into the enormous future for the development of this technology. Piccard and Andre with their partners have shown great strength and determination in actualization  this initiative.

The moral here is that impossibility is just a frame of mind. If you missed the post on redefining the word “impossible”, please read it here. Every problem has a solution and there is no limit to it. Great men are not limited by situations and circumstances. People who solve problems do not limit themselves; neither do they allow cold feet from people who do not believe them. We need to surround ourselves continually with great minds. Note that the words we hear constantly go a long way in framing our minds. Surround yourself with the right people, hear the right things, and get the right motivations. The sky is just a starting point… See you at the top.