After completing the longest distance flight in the history of the project, landing at 01:08AM CDT (UTC-5) on Thursday May 23nd at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, André expressed two wishes. The first was to stretch his long legs as it can get quite cramped when you’re over 6’2’’ (190 cm) tall in the meager 46 ft³ (1.3 m³) cockpit. The second one proved, once again, André’s pride in his family name; Borschberg: the bons vivants. He articulated the wish to enjoy Texas’ world-renowned steak and even asked Dallas residents to send him names of the best spots in town. Ideas; anybody?

Jokes aside, it was a unique but challenging journey. The pre-flight preparations were intense because of the specific wind conditions, manifest after sunset. This allowed André to live a true “sky surfing” experience. Because of the lightness and slow speed of the solar airplane, it literally rode the updraft and downdraft of the mountain winds. This is clearly visible on the flight profile, a phenomenon that caused the plane to rise and fall, riding the wind waves.

The flight was a perfect training experience for both the pilot and the team in the Mission Control Center. It has reconfirmed the need to remain flexible and try to request, when possible, permission to fly at different altitudes to local Air Traffic Controllers. Having options can help avoid being stuck in a segment that’s experiencing unique winds – but it’s not always possible due to dense air traffic flying below the solar airplane.

Texan skies have certainly challenged the top ranking of California’s surfing, but now that André’s safely back on the ground, he can indulge in a good pair of cowboy boots and other more traditionally Texan sports. 

As André continues his descent toward Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, a flight that might set a new world distance record in the solar aviation category, innovation is definitely reaching new heights, but not only in America’s skies.

Schindler, a Solar Impulse Main Partner and world leading elevator and escalator manufacturer, is following Solar Impulse’s pioneering spirit, also vertically, but in a different way. Schindler heavily invested in a concept; a concept that became reality and is now being commercialized:  a solar-powered elevator.

A revolutionary achievement, Schindler’s solar elevator does not only reduce energy consumption, it can run entirely on sunlight. Furthermore, because of their capacity to run independently of the power grid, it allows them to function, undisturbed, in case of a power outage.

Prototype solar elevators were tested in Barcelona (Spain) and Switzerland in residential, low-rise buildings. The energy is collected by solar panels on the building’s rooftop while excess energy is stored in the Energy Storage Device (ESD) until needed. Backup power needs are provided by a one- phase grid connection, significantly simpler and more cost-efficient compared to standard three-phase connections.

The embedded Schindler engineers are the direct partnership link between Schindler and Solar Impulse, demonstrating the intense information and innovation exchange between the two companies. But Schindler’s contribution to the project goes beyond. Thanks to them and five other partners, Solvay, Bayer MaterialScience, Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, SunPower and the Swiss Confederation, this year’s Across America mission has come true.   

André and Bertrand’s flight is being followed by a very special character, someone that’s been closely related to the Piccard family for a few generations. Do any of you know about the young journalist with the blond fringe, always accompanied by his loyal canine friend, Milou? Tintin, the adventurous journalist, hero of the Belgian artist Hergé’s comic books, has decided to embark on a new adventure and follow the Across America flight! 

Betrand’s grandfather, Auguste Piccard, was a renowned Swiss scientist, explorer and Professor at the Université Libre de Bruxelles. You couldn’t miss Auguste: his tall stature (1,96 cm/6’5’’), his unconventional clothing and signature round glasses made him as visible as can be. His greatest invention was the pressurized cabin, a necessity for modern-day flight. In fact, he was the first man to go into the stratosphere before World War II and to see the curvature of the earth when it was considered impossible. He later built the bathyscaphe which was used by his son, Jacques Piccard and the American Don Walsh, to go to the deepest part of the Earth’s Oceans, the Mariana Trench in 1960.

Auguste’s contribution to science inspired Herge’s cartoon character, Professor Tryphon Tournesol (Professor Cuthbert Calculus in English). A genius yet absent-minded Professor, Tourensol invents a number of incredible tools throughout Tintin’s adventures, including a moon rocket, a shark-shaped submarine and a pill to cure alcoholism.

Although Hergé, whose real name was Georges Prosper Remi, died in 1983 Tintin continues to be read worldwide. Hergé would have enjoyed following Solar Impulse on its numerous adventures and who knows, maybe might have inspired Professor Tournesol to make a groundbreaking invention using renewable energies? We will never know but the Solar Impulse team warmly welcomes Tintin and his friends to follow their journey across America.

For more information about Tintin, click here and for the Tintin blog about Solar Impulse (only in French) click here.