May 2011 - Solar Impulse in Brussels Airport , first international flight On May 13, 2011, Solar Impulse took off from Payerne (Switzerland) on Friday morning and landed at Brussels airport after a 13-hour flight. The objective was to demonstrate what we can do with existing technology in terms of renewable energy and energy savings. June 2011 - Solar Impulse in Paris - Le Bourget After a flight lasting 16 hours 05 minutes, using no fuel, Solar Impulse HB-SIA landed safely at Paris-Le Bourget, where it will be on display as a “Special Guest” at the opening of the International Paris Air Show. With André Borschberg at the controls, Solar Impulse took off Tuesday morning at 05h10 from Brussels Airport. This took the aircraft around Brussels, then South towards Maubeuge, Reins, Troyes and Avallon. The plane then finally headed back north towards Paris Le Bourget airport after a fairly long circling that was due to air traffic and meteorological conditions that were anticipated by the mission team. « Throughout the 20th century, aviation was the undisputed symbol of progress, innovation and the pioneering spirit - the qualities that transformed our world », said Bertrand Piccard, founder and President of Solar Impulse : « And it should continue to play that role today, promoting optimism in society and a commitment to adopting solutions that will allow us to reduce our dependency on fossil energy. »
