Bertrand Piccard
Swiss explorer, psychiatrist, and environmentalist; first to circle globe by balloon and solar plane.
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Bertrand Piccard, born 1 March 1958, is a Swiss psychiatrist, explorer, and environmentalist. He made history alongside Brian Jones by piloting the Breitling Orbiter 3 on the first non-stop balloon flight around the world.
He also founded, chaired, and flew the Solar Impulse, the first solar-powered aircraft to circle the globe, with André Borschberg. In 2012, the UN Environment Programme named him a Champion of the Earth. He is the founder and chair of the Solar Impulse Foundation.
Early life and education
Piccard grew up in Lausanne, Switzerland. His grandfather, Auguste Piccard, was a balloonist and deep-sea explorer, and his father, Jacques Piccard, was also an undersea explorer. As a child, he watched space launches at Cape Canaveral.
Though he was initially afraid of heights, he took up hang gliding at sixteen. He developed an early fascination with flight and how people behave in extreme situations. He earned a degree in psychiatry from the University of Lausanne.
Career
Professionally, Piccard lectures and supervises at the Swiss Medical Society for Hypnosis. He holds pilot licenses for balloons, airplanes, gliders, and motorized gliders. In the 1970s, he was a European pioneer in hang gliding and microlight flying. He became the European hang-glider aerobatics champion in 1985.
Breitling Orbiter
On 1 March 1999, Piccard and Brian Jones launched from Château d'Oex, Switzerland, in the Breitling Orbiter 3—a Rozier balloon with a helium cell and a hot-air envelope, the envelope being approximately 180 feet (55 meters) tall and 82 feet (25 meters) in diameter. They completed the first non-stop balloon circumnavigation of the globe, the first in-atmosphere trip without fuel for forward motion. With help from a ground-based meteorology team, they rode a series of jet streams for 19 days, 21 hours, and 47 minutes, covering 45,755 kilometers (28,431 miles) before landing in Egypt. For this, Piccard received the Harmon Trophy, the FAI Gold Air Medal, and the Charles Green Salver.
Solar Impulse
In November 2003, Piccard announced a partnership with the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) for a solar-powered, long-range aircraft called Solar Impulse. Construction began in 2007, and short test flights with André Borschberg followed in 2009. By 2006, he had gathered a multi-disciplinary team of fifty specialists from six countries, plus about a hundred outside advisers.
Lore & Background
Bertrand Piccard was born in Lausanne, Switzerland, into a family of explorers: his grandfather Auguste Piccard was a balloonist and undersea explorer, and his father Jacques Piccard was an undersea explorer. As a child, he attended space flight launches at Cape Canaveral. Initially afraid of heights, he took up hang gliding at age 16 and later became the European hang-glider aerobatics champion in 1985. He earned a degree in psychiatry from the University of Lausanne and became a lecturer and supervisor at the Swiss Medical Society for Hypnosis.
On 1 March 1999, Piccard and Brian Jones launched the Breitling Orbiter 3 from Château d'Oex, Switzerland, completing the first non-stop balloon circumnavigation of the globe. The flight covered 45,755 km in 19 days, 21 hours, and 47 minutes, landing in Egypt. Piccard received the Harmon Trophy, FAI Gold Air Medal, and Charles Green Salver for this achievement.
In November 2003, Piccard announced the Solar Impulse project with the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. After construction and test flights, Solar Impulse 1 made its first nighttime flight in 2010 and its first intercontinental flight in 2012.
In 2015–2016, Piccard and Borschberg completed the first round-the-world solar-powered flight in Solar Impulse 2. Piccard piloted the ninth segment, landing in California on 24 April 2016. The circumnavigation concluded on 26 July 2016.
Reader's Guide
Bertrand Piccard's significance lies in his pioneering achievements in aviation and his advocacy for clean technologies. By completing the first non-stop balloon circumnavigation, he demonstrated the potential of jet-stream navigation without fuel for forward motion. His Solar Impulse project proved that solar-powered flight could circle the globe, advancing public awareness of renewable energy. Piccard's work extends beyond exploration: as a UN Environment Programme Goodwill Ambassador (appointed December 2015) and founder of the Solar Impulse Foundation, he has promoted profitable environmental solutions.
The foundation's Efficient Solutions Label, launched in May 2018, certifies innovations that are both economically viable and environmentally beneficial, with 1,000 solutions certified by April 2021. Piccard also set a record in 2019 for the most miles driven by a hydrogen car without refueling (778 km in a Hyundai NEXO). His legacy is that of an explorer who uses his platforms to accelerate the transition to a sustainable economy, linking adventure with practical environmental action.
Did You Know?
- The Breitling Orbiter 3 balloon measured 16 feet long and 7 feet in diameter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Bertrand Piccard?
Bertrand Piccard is a Swiss psychiatrist, explorer, and environmentalist born on 1 March 1958 in Lausanne. He is best known for pioneering two landmark circumnavigations: one by hot-air balloon and one by solar-powered aircraft.
How did Bertrand Piccard complete the first non-stop balloon flight around the world?
In 1999, Piccard co-piloted the Breitling Orbiter 3 alongside British engineer Brian Jones, staying aloft for roughly 19 days to circle the globe without ever touching down. That feat made them the first people to finish an unbroken, non-stop balloon circumnavigation.
What is Bertrand Piccard's connection to his grandfather Auguste Piccard?
Auguste Piccard was a renowned balloonist and deep-sea explorer, and growing up in his shadow in Lausanne clearly shaped Bertrand's own passion for exploration. Bertrand has often spoken about how his grandfather's record-breaking flights inspired him to push boundaries in aviation and environmental science.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Bertrand Piccard (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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