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Swiss businessman and pilot From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
André Borschberg (born 13 December 1952) is a Swiss entrepreneur, explorer, pilot, and professional speaker. He is the co-founder and CEO of Solar Impulse.[1] In July 2016, he co-piloted and completed the first manned solar flight to circumnavigate the Earth.[2]
 | This article contains wording that promotes the subject in a subjective manner without imparting real information. (August 2020) |
André Borschberg FRSGS | |
|---|---|
Borschberg in 2011 | |
| Born | 13 December 1952 |
| Education | École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, MS 1976 MIT Sloan, MS 1983 |
| Known for | Completed the first round-the-world solar flight and the longest solo flight in an airplane of any kind: 117 hours and 52 minutes |
| Awards | 14 FAI world records |
| Aviation career | |
| Famous flights | Longest solo solar flight ever in aviation history from Nagoya to Hawaii |
| Air force | Swiss Air Force |
His other ventures include being the co-founder and executive chairman of H55, a company that develops electric propulsion technology for the aviation industry[3] and serving as a member of the World Economic Forum Community of Experts.[4]
He holds several records for his work with the Solar Impulse project. On 7 July 2010, he completed the first 24-hour solar-powered flight, setting records for the longest manned solar-powered flight and the greatest height reached by a solar aircraft.[5] In July 2016, he completed the first manned round-the-world flight in a solar-powered aircraft.[2] During the Japan-to-Hawaii leg of the flight, he flew non-stop for 117 hours and 52 minutes. This broke Steve Fossett’s 2006 world record for the longest solo flight in an airplane of any kind.[6]
He currently holds 14 Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) world records, including: free distance, free distance along a course, straight distance, and the longest solo flight in a fixed-wing aircraft of any kind.[7]
For his role in delivering and piloting Solar Impulse, Borschberg was jointly awarded the Mungo Park Medal by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society in 2018, with Bertrand Piccard.[8]
André Borschberg was born on 13 December 1952, in Zürich, Switzerland. He holds a master's degree in mechanical engineering from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and a master's degree in management science from the Sloan School of Management at Massacheusett's Institute of Technology.[4] He also holds professional certifications in Financial Management and Business Management from HEC Lausanne.
Fascinated by aviation from childhood, Borschberg trained as a pilot in the Swiss air force, first flying Venoms, then Hunters and Tigers for over 20 years.[9] Today he holds both professional airplane and helicopter pilot's licenses, and does aerobatics in his spare time.
Before starting his own entrepreneurial activities, Borschberg worked as a consultant at the strategy and management consultancy firm McKinsey & Company.
He initially went into partnership with venture capital company Lowe Finance. With a technical team from EPFL, he co-founded now-defunct Innovative Silicon, a company that produced a novel type of DRAM.[10]
Borschberg holds a management[11] and engineering position at Solar Impulse, and is also a pilot for the company.
On 7 July 2010, André Borschberg flew the Solar Impulse airplane for 26 hours,[12] the first flight through both day and night using only solar energy.
Solar Impulse HB-SIA, piloted by André Borschberg, completed three international flights during the European campaign: Payerne to Brussels on 13 May (630 km), Brussels to Paris–Le Bourget on 14 June (395 km), and Paris-Le Bourget to Payerne on 3 July (426 km).
Solar Impulse, piloted alternately by André Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard, made its first intercontinental flight in 2012 from Switzerland (Payerne) to Madrid, and then on to Morocco.[13]
Solar Impulse completed the historic crossing of the United States over a 2-month period in the summer of 2013. Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, the two pilots, flew from San Francisco to New York, stopping over in cities along the way.[14]
With the goal of the world's first solar-powered round the world flight initiated on 9 March 2015, Solar Impulse claimed "these flights have provided good learning opportunities in terms of slotting the solar aircraft into international air space and landing at international airports."[15]
Borschberg has been awarded at least 8 FAI world records[7] flying with Solar Impulse: free distance, free distance along a course, straight distance, straight distance predeclared waypoints, distance along a course, duration, absolute altitude, gain of height. These records were achieved during 3 flights, taking place in 2010, 2012 and 2013.
In 2015 and 2016, Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard flew Solar Impulse 2 and achieved the first ever round-the-world solar flight.[16]
During one of the 17 legs of the flight, from 28 June to 3 July 2015, Borschberg flew Solar Impulse 2 between Nagoya and Kalaeloa, Hawaii for a duration of 4 days, 21 hours, and 52 minutes,[17] breaking the record of the longest solo flight previously held by Steve Fosset.
In 2017, Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard released an autobiographical book titled Objectif Soleil, about their experience through the Solar Impulse project.[18][19]
In early 2017, Borschberg co-founded the Swiss tech start-up H55, based in Sion. H55 is a technological spinoff of Solar Impulse. The company develops and sells electric propulsion technologies to aircraft manufacturers.[20]
In 2017 the company launched its first aircraft, the Aerol,[21][22] followed by the Bristell Energic in 2019.[23]
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