André Borschberg - Turning obstacles into opportunities
Engineer, entrepreneur, CEO, accomplished pilot: this broad set of talents has enabled Switzerland's André Borschberg, co-founder of Solar Impulse, to play a key role in making this plane without fuel a reality. With much scientific and managerial experience under his belt, his taste for innovation and desire to push himself beyond his limits have been instrumental in enabling him to bring together the team of technicians that successfully realised this project that no one thought possible.
Multitalented Swiss pilot
Early on, Borschberg felt a need to push himself beyond his limits and take on new challenges. As a pilot with the Swiss Air Force he obtained several licences and took up aerobatics. An EPFL engineer with degrees in management from HEC Lausanne and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, this lover of risk and innovation became a consultant and entrepreneur. He launched start-ups and was involved in various volunteer activities, etc. When in 2003 a certain Bertrand Piccard submitted to the EPFL his idea of perpetual flight without fuel, which was destined to become the spearhead of clean energy, the prestigious school not surprisingly called upon its former student to direct the feasibility study.
The Solar Impulse venture
"The idea seemed brilliant to me. I had always dreamt of aviation, innovation and exploration. Meeting Bertrand enabled me to realise this dream." The challenge was initially considered impossible by many aviation specialists. But that made it more appealing to him: "After the feasibility study of the plane, we contacted aircraft manufacturers who told us that it couldn't be done. That spurred me on." While André put together the technical team that he would subsequently lead to build the aircraft, Bertrand found the main technological and financial partners. More than 80 companies were involved in the construction of Solar Impulse, but only one of them from the world of aviation. The others came from fields such as chemistry, watchmaking, boat building, etc.
Borschberg developed several technical partnerships and managed to integrate a new Swiss technology into the plane, comprising carbon sheets weighing a third of a sheet of paper. But not just Swiss technology was involved: "It's also a typically Swiss thing to integrate and combine the best ideas from around the world", says André. He went on to lead the team that designed and built Solar Impulse over five intensive years of work, managing to overcome the challenge of making the aircraft as light and resistant as possible. With Bertrand he was running from conference to conference: "We were invited all over the world – people were keen to hear about these technologies developed in Switzerland." He then went on to undertake the world’s first perpetual flight: a solo flight across the Pacific Ocean for five days and five nights non-stop, breaking several world records in the process – for distance, duration and altitude.
Exceeding technological limits...
Solar Impulse is "a special plane for two reasons: the sun is its only source of energy and it can fly day and night in an extremely energy-efficient manner." Thanks to an electric propulsion system which is 97% energy efficient, the aircraft has at its disposal an amount of energy comparable to that of a motorcycle, with the weight of a car and a wider wingspan than a Boeing 747. "It is primarily an energy saving project, because it is the only way to fly day and night with renewable energy," explains André. "But it is also a new paradigm for aviation, which also has to get away from its dependence on oil."
... and exceeding human limits
"As we have repeatedly experienced with Solar Impulse, obstacles often turn out to be opportunities – the important thing is to have the right mindset." And the pitfalls on the road to this wonderful and challenging adventure have not only been technological in nature: "Sometimes it takes more time to build a strong corporate culture than to develop new technologies." To face these many human challenges, André Borschberg resorts to yoga and meditation, which he discovered through his wife Yasmine. This allows him to dissociate himself from what he might experience in certain extreme situations. Preparing for the worst is a way for him to distance himself from the anxiety that can come about with flights into the unknown. Being aware that one can eject from the plane and survive in the ocean is a way to eliminate fear: "The fear of parachuting can also be viewed as an extraordinary experience." But we would rather he didn't have to use his ejector seat and that he will arrive safely at his destination.
More info : http://www.andreborschberg.com/
