A thrilling year for Solar Impulse starting with a simulation of a 72-hour flight and culminating in the decoration of André Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard by King Mohammed VI after completing world’s first fully solar-powered intercontinental flight. While HB-SIA, piloted alternately by André Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard, made its way this summer from Payerne (Switzerland) to Ouarzazate (Morocco) with intermediate stops in Madrid (Spain) and Rabat (Morocco), Solar Impulse’s team of engineers continued the construction of HB-SIB, Solar Impulse’s second generation aircraft.

February

• February 24: Successful simulation of a 72-hour flight (3 days and 3 nights).

May

• May 7: Bertrand Piccard’s last test flight before the 2012 Crossing Frontiers Mission flights.
• May 11: Launching of Solar Impulse’s new website.
• May 21: Structural testing of HB-SIB’s gondola in Dübendorf.
• May 25: First leg of Solar Impulse’s first intercontinental flight begins. HB-SIA lands successfully in Madrid.

June

• June 6: Solar Impulse completes its first intercontinental flight and lands in Rabat, on Moroccan soil.
• June 13: HB-SIA takes off for first attempt to reach Ouarzazate, the doorstep to the Moroccan desert.
• June 22: Solar Impulse triumphantly lands in Ouarzazate to the beat of traditional Berber music happily concluding its 2^nd attempt to reach its destination in Southern Morocco.
• June 28: HB-SIA returns to Rabat after a week of events in Ouarzazate, and begins its return home.

July

• July 5: Wing spar of HB-SIB cracks and the final structural test fails.
• July 7: Solar Impulse lands in Madrid.
• July 17: HB-SIA lands in Toulouse-Francazal airport.
• July 24: The Solar Impulse team concludes the world’s first roundtrip, fully solar-powered intercontinental flight by landing safely at its home base in Payerne, Switzerland. The 2012 Crossing Frontiers mission flights conclude to the sounds of Switzerland’s traditional Alphorn music.

August

• August 30: André Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard receive a decoration by King Mohammed VI for their courage and efforts to promote the Moroccan solar program with their flight to Rabat and Ouarzazate.

Solar Impulse’s first prototype airplane has been accorded two new world records in the category of experimental solar airplane by the Fédération Aéronautique International (FAI) during this year’s Crossing Frontiers mission flights which connected Europe to North Africa.

The records (subclass: solar-powered aeroplane) both concern the first leg of the mission, from Payerne (Switzerland) to Madrid (Spain). The first record was obtained in the category of “Free Distance along a Course” - a distance from point A to point B without a predefined itinerary. The second record has a stricter objective: “Straight Distance, Pre-Declared Waypoints” - where waypoints overflown en route on the way from Payerne to Madrid need to be pre-announced before takeoff.

Two observers were called from the Swiss Aero Club located in Lucerne during the flight from Payerne to Madrid to document the record attempt. One observer joined the Mission Control Center (MCC) to follow the flight progress and to confirm that Solar Impulse remained airborne at all times. The second observer was embedded in the ground crew and awaited the aircraft in Madrid to verify the battery status after landing.

Once HB-SIA was safely on the ground at Madrid-Barajas airport, air traffic controllers of the towers in Payerne and Madrid had to sign official take-off and landing documents. Together with data from two GPS loggers in the aircraft and a number of additional information to support the record attempt, the information was forwarded to the Swiss Aero Club for homologation. Once the two Swiss national records were granted to André, the results were thereafter forwarded and confirmed by FAI as “Experimental and New Technology World Records: Solar-Powered Aeroplanes”.

After setting three world records during the Solar Night Flight on 8.7.2010 for maximum altitude (9235m), duration (26h10m19s) and gain of height (8744m), Solar Impulse now officially holds five world records.

Judging by the reactions of Moroccans in the weeks that followed, it seems that the whole population must have watched the TV coverage of Bertrand and André receiving their decorations from King Mohammed VI. It was during the celebration of the Feast of the Throne that the King of Morocco solemnly conferred on Solar Impulse’s founders and pilots the title of Officer of the Order of the Alawites*, congratulating them for the success of this summer’s flight missions. 

There were some warm exchanges, our pilots expressing to the King their admiration for the Moroccan solar energy program, and the King thanking them for the enthusiasm generated by the arrival of Solar Impulse inMorocco.

For Bertrand and André, this decoration belongs to the whole team, on whose work and admirable dedication the success was based.

*The Order Wissam Al-’Awi symbolizes the King of Morocco’s recognition for civilians and military officers who have displayed heroism or contributed significantly to the Moroccan state.

After a successful conclusion to the world’s first roundtrip fully solar-powered intercontinental flight, here are the major highlights of what has been achieved:

MAY 2012

1.       24 May: Payerne to Madrid

• Pilot: André Borschberg
• Departure: 06:24 AM (UTC)
• Landing: 11:28 PM (UTC) at Madrid-Barajas International airport (Spain).
• Highlights:
  • Three world records currently being verified by the Air Sports Federation (FAI) for this flight.

JUNE 2012

2.       5 June: Madrid to Rabat

• Pilot: Bertrand Piccard
• Departure: 3:30 AM (UTC)
• Landing: 10:30 PM (UTC) at Rabat-Salé International Airport (Morocco).
• Highlights:
  • World’s first solar-powered intercontinental flight linking Europe to Africa.
  • Bertrand’s first Solar Impulse mission flight.

 3.       13 June: 1^st Attempt Rabat to Ouarzazate

• Pilot: André Borschberg
• Departure: 07:07 AM (UTC)
• Landing: HB-SIA returned to Rabat landing at 11:14 PM (UTC)
• Highlights:  
  • André undertook a reconnaissance mission to a local meteorological station prior to the flight to benefit from local knowledge complementing Solar Impulse’s sophisticated modeling programs.
  • The winds were twice as strong as expected, keeping the solar aircraft at a standstill. For the safety of the aircraft and pilot, the Flight Director decided to turn back.

 4.       21 June: 2^nd Attempt Rabat to Ouarzazate

• Pilot: André Borschberg
• Departure: 06:05 AM (UTC)
• Landing: 11:25 PM (UTC) at Ouarzazate International airport (Morocco).
• Highlights:
  • Symbolic destination to inaugurate the beginning of construction of what will the world’s largest thermo-solar power plant.
  • The aircraft was facing away from the sun most of the flight and André was shivering and very cold during a large portion of the leg.

 5.       29 June: Ouarzazate to Rabat

• Pilot: André Borschberg
• Departure: 6:33 AM (UTC)
• Landing: 09:22 PM (UTC) at Rabat-Salé international airport (Morocco).
• Highlights:
  • Strong westerly winds over the Atlas Mountains made finding a flight plan challenging.
  • In Rabat, HB-SIA underwent the usual technical check-up scheduled after a total of 50 hours of flight.

JULY 2012

6.       6 July: Rabat to Madrid

• Pilot: Bertrand Piccard
• Departure: 5:17 AM (UTC)
• Landing: 11:19 PM (UTC) at Madrid-Barajas International airport (Morocco).
• Highlights:
  • Bertrand not only had a guest in the cockpit (a Moroccan fly) but also completed the Solar Impulse speed record both forwards and backwards.

7.       17 July: Madrid to Toulouse

• Pilot: Bertrand Piccard
• Departure: 03:33 AM (UTC)
• Landing: 07:46 PM (UTC) at Toulouse-Francazal airport (France).
• Highlights:
  • Originally meant to be a direct flight to Payerne the small window of opportunity quickly closed causing Bertrand to land in Toulouse.
  • Toulouse: Headquarters of the historical Aéropostale, the world’s first commercial flight route connecting France to North Africa.

8.       24 July: Toulouse to Payerne

• Pilot: Bertrand Piccard
• Departure: 05:01 AM (UTC)
• Landing: 06:30 PM (UTC) at Payerne airfield (Switzerland)
• Highlights:
  • Landing welcomed by a group of Swiss Alphorn musicians and cheering spectators.
  • World’s first roundtrip fully solar-powered intercontinental flight.
  • 6’000km flown
  • 8 legs
  • 4 countries
  • 2 continents
  • 3 FAI world records being verified.
  • Over 2’723’391 unique visitors to the Solar Impulse website.
  • Over 4’164’130 viewers of the LIVE broadcastings.