ASolar power over the Alps:
A high-flying message
The SolarStratos summer show continues, oscillating between patience and impatience. We repeat to ourselves that while we all share the same desire to reach 10,000m, the final milestone before our ultimate objective of flying to the stratosphere, we must not rush. On an adventure such as ours, the stars must align before we try to reach them! On the technical side everything is in order. Our HB-SXA aircraft celebrated its 100th flight just in time for Swiss National Day – the only things that are now pending are the right weather conditions and the final administrative authorisations. Patience, patience.
On active stand-by
The whole team remains on active stand-by at our cosy VIP Alpark hangar at Sion airport, waiting for the right weather window and the necessary permits. While the famous Valaisan summer thermals have so far been slow to materialise, mainly because of the amount of snow that fell at the end of the winter at high altitude, the breathing system that our pilot Raphaël Domjan will be equipped with has now been approved by the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA). The world record attempt is taking shape, meanwhile we stand-by with our fingers crossed.
A climb high into the Swiss sky
Authorisation from the FOCA for the flight level of 25,000 feet, or around 7,600 metres, arrived shortly before the end of August. Reaching this altitude will be another historic step for HB-SXA. Until now, only Solar Impulse has flown higher using only solar energy. Test pilot Gérald Ducoin will make the flight in the next few days, as soon as a favourable weather window presents itself. Other preparatory flights carried out this month have enabled us to verify, among other things, that the HB-SXA can land with a stronger headwind. A situation that the aircraft will probably have to face when it returns to land at Sion airport after the record attempt. Yes, we are definitely ready for the world’s first attempt at 10,000m!
Flying above the five 4,000m Val d’Anniviers peaks
“What a pleasure it is to welcome you to my office up here in the skies above the Swiss Alps!” Raphaël Domjan posted two photos of his flight on 16 August, writing these powerful words: “What an incredible opportunity to greet the five 4,000 metre Val d’Anniviers peaks in Switzerland propelled solely by the power of the sun. Thank you to all those who believe in our adventure and who have supported us all these years as we work towards a low-carbon world”.
And thank you Raphaël!
Happiness… shared
Sharing the exhilaration of this period of preparation for a world first, fulfils the mission’s objective to inspire, to achieve unprecedented and spectacular performance, and to encourage people to take the plunge into solar energy and a low-carbon world. Your enjoyment of these inspiring moments of shared happiness and your reactions on social media are giving us a boost: ‘Magnifique!’, ‘Nice view!’, ‘Work like this requires a lot of patience, we wish you success!’ Thank you all very much. Keep following our flights via the virtual cockpit. And let’s get on with the adventure!
