Be part of it Menu

SolarStratos heads to Canada

SolarStratos heads to Canada

There is no respite for the SolarStratos team! There is barely time to savour the success of their maiden flight before they move on to the next phase of the operation!

The next step takes the team to Canada in June where SolarStratos will be the guest of honour at the Festival Nordique du Quebec in Montreal from the 15-22 June. During the second half of the event, from 19-22 June, 130 mayors from the largest cities in the world will gather in Montreal for the Metropolis Congress. For a few intense days, Raphael will give lectures and the public will have an opportunity to admire the plane, based near the Old Port. The event will culminate in an exhibition flight over the St Lawrence River.

Wondering how the aircraft is travelling to Canada?

The plane was dismantled on 19 May and stored in its trailer, which was then placed in a 40ft container. It left on the month-long voyage by ship from Basel, via Rotterdam and is due to arrive in Canada in mid-June. This solution not only makes it possible to optimise the transport costs and the carbon footprint, but also to take the plane anywhere in the world – even to the heart of a city.

We are looking forward to sharing our solar bird with our neighbours across the Atlantic and of course we have you to thank you for it. Without the unwavering support of our Club members (have you joined?) and above all, our partners, none of this would be possible.

We would like to take advantage of this newsletter to welcome our new Official Suppliers: OPAN concept, Leuba Group and Henniez. Thank you for believing in SolarStratos!

Thanks to all our partners, we are making the helio-stratospheric dream come true.

Until next month!

Raphael and the SolarStratos Team

 

Our solar airplane, registered as HB-SXA, made his first flight, right after sunrise, on Friday, the 5th of May ! Experience again these intense moments with us by watching our latest StratosTime. It was a magical moment for the whole SolarStratos team, for all our supporters and our fellow followers. To be continued…

Raphaël and the SolarStratos Team

What an incredible adventure! Beads of perspiration gathered on our brows and a cold sweat ran down our backs, but after several weeks of hard work, our labour finally paid off! We got there! SolarStratos flies!

On Friday, the 5th of May 2017, our test pilot Damian Hischier took command of the aircraft. The taxiing tests on the tarmac and the runway were conclusive. The Federal Office of Civil Aviation issued our ‘permit to fly’. We were ready. All that remained was for SolarStratos to take off. No small feat for a prototype!

Imagine for just a moment the emotion when Damian lined up ready for take-off. The whole team was willing it to go well. The plane was lined up, there was no wind. Damian engaged the full power of the electric motors and the plane started to move forward. It gathered speed, faster and faster, (as did our heartrates!) and then all of a sudden, the wheels left the ground. The ultimate adrenalin rush was swiftly followed by a fleeting moment of disbelief before we all exploded with joy!

“We did it!” exclaimed Raphael, feeling the same sensations as seven years ago when PlanetSolar was launched in north Germany. At these moments, the emotions eclipse any of the tough times. Pride and joy merge with memories of all the sacrifices that led to this historic moment on the SolarStratos journey.

With this step completed, we can look forward to the next adventures with peace of mind. Of course, the road to flying at very high altitude is long, but we are confident of getting there. The intention is to get there step by step with confidence.

Our current objective is for Raphael and his co-pilot, Thierry Plojoux, to master SolarStratos so that we can demonstrate the aircraft’s flight capabilities at a major event in Quebec in June.

We will tell you more about this soon, but in the meantime, stay up to date on our progress via our social media networks or through our monthly newsletter. And don’t forget this eco-adventure belongs to you too! Don’t hesitate to sign up to our Club if you haven’t already, and spread the word! Together we will reach the edge of Space powered by solar-energy.

Thank you for your support and see you in a month! We wish you a good start to Spring.

Raphael and the SolarStratos team