The two pilots who took on the “impossible” by flying round the world in a solar-powered plane jetted into Scotland to receive a prestigious award.
Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg said they were honoured to receive the Royal Scottish Geographical Society’s (RSGS) Mungo Park Medal – and Mr Borschberg also spoke of his fondness for the Scots.
Entrepreneur, explorer and mechanical engineer Mr Borschberg, said: “I feel very honoured to get this award but it’s not just for me and Bertrand but for the entire team. The pilots are visible in the media, but there were a lot of people behind this project, who all deserve strong recognition.
“It feels very special to get an award from the geographical society because it is a society about explorers, about people who went around the world to discover, to explore; the real pioneers. So, for us, this is a very special recognition. It’s also special that it comes from Scotland. Scots have strong-minds – and that speaks to me. I have many Scottish friends.”
The plane, called Solar Impulse, travelled 40,000km in 2016 using only the Sun’s energy to power its motors – breaking records and changing thoughts one solar-powered mile at a time. Its frame was made mainly out of ultra-lightweight materials such as carbon fibre and innovative “honeycomb sandwich panels”.
And the incredible journey demonstrated the power of renewable energies and promoted the use of clean solutions.
Mr Borschberg added: “We wanted to change people’s minds and prove it could be done. When Bertrand had this idea of flying around the world with renewable energy, I felt that it was opening the door of the world of the dreams of my childhood.”
Aviation pioneer Mr Piccard, who was the visionary behind Solar Impulse, said: “The success of Solar Impulse is only useful if we take it further. My goal is now to select 1000 solutions to protect the environment in a profitable way and encourage governments to have more ambitious environmental targets and energy policies.”
The Mungo Park Medal is named in honour of the 19th century Scottish explorer famed for his expeditions to West Africa. The medal is awarded for an inspirational contribution to geographical knowledge through exploration or adventure in potentially hazardous physical or social environments. CEO of RSGS Mike Robinson said: “Solar Impulse is truly inspirational – not just because of the inherent danger, the technological innovation and the achievement, but because it also encourages us to test the boundaries and believe in the impossible. Bertrand and Andre’s work with Solar Impulse has gone a long way to promote cleaner technological practices and challenge the boundaries of what is possible.”
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