Bertrand Piccard
Dr. Bertrand Piccard (born March 1, 1958) is a Swiss psychiatrist and balloonist born in Lausanne, Vaud canton, on March 1, 1958. His grandfather Auguste Piccard, and father Jacques Piccard were noted balloonists and inventors.
He is a lecturer and supervisor at the Swiss Society for Medical Hypnosis.
On 1 March 1999 Piccard and Brian Jones set off in the balloon Breitling Orbiter 3 from Château d’Oex in Switzerland on the non-stop balloon circumnavigation. They landed in Egypt after a 45,755 kilometre flight lasting 19 days, 21 hours and 47 minutes. In recognition of this accomplishment, he received the Harmon Trophy.
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In 2004, he co-announced a project, in cooperation with the EPFL, for a solar-powered long-range glider named Solar Impulse. The project is grandiloquently dubbed "Une grande aventure humaine" ("a great human adventure"), and though a few technical improvements are involved in the project, it is perceived by researchers as an over-rated publicity operation, more than a real scientific achievement.
He is reputed for his flamboyant declarations, using expressions such as "the Invisible Hand" (la Main Invisible):
- "I went in search of new ideas blowing in the wind, to try and live better on Earth in my roles as doctor and human being"
- "Consciousness is perceiving one's soul"
- "Welcome to those who believe in the power of dreams and who would like to join me in my exploration of life"