Hi André how are you doing?

André: Very well thank you. It's time for my siesta actually! (lots of laughter)

The plane flies itself, everything is fine onboard. The conditions are excellent, exactly what we were looking for. We wanted to be sure that we could turn back if there was a problem and to be able to land safely in Payerne at the end of the flight. We ticked both boxes and the flight is very calm.

Are you not too hot in a glass cockpit in the July sunshine?

André: No, it's fine the temperature is fine. It's always a bit of a compromise. This morning it was quite cool when I took off. Now it's too hot. I can't change while I'm flying though so I have to decide what I'm going to wear before I take off. It's not always easy!

How do you like your multimedia pilot status? You are flying the plane, doing interviews and sending Tweets.

André: Piloting is my priority of course, so I can't always communicate with the public, but when the weather permits I think it is brilliant! It amuses me no end. Communicating really is at the heart of the Solar Impulse project, we want to share these extraordinary moments with the public.

And is the technology working well?

André: Yes perfectly. I am using the technical solution that Swisscom has installed to Tweet, receive emails and photos. We have a bit more work to do on the system, but it is really great to be able to communicate from up here.

You just crossed the Swiss border. How does that feel?

André: It's a great feeling. I have been able to see the Mont Blanc for quite a while and then the rest of the Alps came into sight one by one, then at last the Jura mountain which I am flying over as we speak. It's a  beautiful moment, but also and most importantly a real achievement from the point of view of the project.

Do you say that because this voyage seemed hard to achieve at times?

André: Yes. It is only a year since we completed our first night flight and just after that we decided we should fly across Europe. We quickly discovered the challenges of such a trip. The HB-SIA is a prototype. It wasn't designed for trips which makes me realise all the more how much work the team has done to achieve this.

And what do you take from this experience?

André: A lot. There is a great amount to say and we will do our reports soon, but one thing is for sure, we have learnt a huge amount from a logistics point of view. The contacts that we have secured are extremely precious and the welcome that we received has been quite simply fabulous.