Biography

Early life

Growing up in a ballooning and undersea-exploration family, Bertrand always was fascinated with flight. As a child, he was taken to the launch of several space flights from Cape Canaveral. From an early age Bertrand also was fascinated by the study of human behaviour in extreme situations. He received a degree from the University of Lausanne in psychiatry. He has since become a lecturer and supervisor at the Swiss Medical Society for Hypnosis (SMSH).

Early on, he also obtained licenses to fly balloons, airplanes, gliders, and motorized gliders. In Europe, he was one of the pioneers of hang gliding and microlight flying during the 1970s. He became the European hang-glider aerobatics champion in 1985.

Career

On 1 March 1999, Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones set off in the balloon Breitling Orbiter 3, a bright red, carbon-composite, egg-shaped craft measuring sixteen feet long and seven feet in diameter, from Château d'Oex in Switzerland on the first successful non-stop balloon circumnavigation of the globe—the first circumnavigation requiring no fuel for forward motion. Piccard and Jones, in close cooperation with a team of meteorologists on the ground, caught rides in a series of jet streams that carried them 25,361 miles to land in Egypt after a 45,755 km (28,431 mi) flight lasting 19 days, 21 hours, and 47 minutes. In recognition of this accomplishment, he received awards including the Harmon Trophy, the FAI Gold Air Medal and the Charles Green Salver.

In November 2003, he announced a project, in cooperation with the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), for a solar-powered, long-range aircraft named Solar Impulse. Piccard began construction in 2007, and conducted short test flights in 2008 with André Borschberg. By 2009, he had assembled a multi-disciplinary team of fifty specialists from six countries, assisted by approximately one hundred outside advisers.

The project is financed by a number of private companies and individuals in Europe. The first company to support the project officially was Semper, after Eric Freymond was convinced of the future success of the highly media-friendly Bertrand Piccard. Owing to international support for the project, the Solar Impulse is a European craft, not a Swiss one, despite scientific support from the EPFL.

In 2010, the Solar Impulse 1(Si1) made its first nighttime flight. In 2011, it landed at Bourget Field in Paris. In 2012, it made its first intercontinental flight from Morocco to Switzerland. Originally conceived as a one-seater, the design of Solar Impulse was altered to allow two. The first intercontinental flight was made by Piccard and Borschberg together. In 2013, he and Borschberg traversed the United States from Mountain View, California to JFK Airport in New York City. There were several stops along the way, including Washington, D.C.

In 2015, the objective is to accomplish the first round-the-world solar flight in history. The voyage consists of multiple flights started on March 9 and was scheduled to conclude roughly five months later. In order to switch pilots, stopovers are scheduled at locations in India, Myanmar, China, United States, and southern Europe or northern Africa.

Bertrand Piccard piloted Leg 9 of the round-the-world trip and landed the Solar Impulse 2 (Si2) in Moffett Field in California on April 24 2016 after 3 days of flying from Kalaeloa Airport, Hawaii.

Personal information

Bertrand Piccard is married, and is the father of 3 children.

Personality

Piccard is known for his declarations, using expressions such as

• "The Invisible Hand" (la Main Invisible):
• "I went in search of new ideas blowing in the wind, to try and live better on Earth in my roles as doctor and human being."
• "Consciousness is perceiving one's soul."
• "Welcome to those who believe in the power of dreams and who would like to join me in my exploration of life."
• "People will tell you it's impossible, and it's exactly why we try to do it."

The Piccard family

• Auguste Piccard (physicist, aeronaut, balloonist, hydronaut)
  • Jacques Piccard (hydronaut)
    • Bertrand Piccard (aeronaut, balloonist)
• Jean Félix Piccard (organic chemist, aeronaut, and balloonist)
• Jeannette Piccard (aeronaut and balloonist) married to Jean Félix Piccard
  • Don Piccard (balloonist)

Works

• "Changer d'Altitude" (Éditions Stock, Paris) 2014
• “The Greatest Adventure” (Headline, London) 1999 or “Around the world in 20 Days” (same content published by Wiley, New York) 1999 — pictured
• "Quand le vent souffle dans le sens de ton chemin" (out of print) 1993
• "Une trace dans le ciel" (Robert Laffont, Paris) 1999

Awards and honours

• Honorary Professor and Honorary Doctor of Science and Letters
• Gold Medal of Youth and Sport
• Harmon Trophy
• Hubbard Medal (1999)
• Golden Plate Award, Academy of Achievement (1999)
• FAI Gold Air Medal
• Winner of the first trans-Atlantic balloon race (1992 Chrysler Challenge)
• Légion d'Honneur (Chevalier)
• Officer of the Order of the Alawites
• Médaille de l'aéronautique

[ Source: Wikipedia ]