By: Jason Woosey
This might be hard to imagine for those of us born in a modern era where vast oceans can be crossed quickly and comfortably with today's advanced aircraft, but back in 1927 a man called Charles Lindbergh became so famous for crossing the Atlantic by air that he was literally greeted by more than four million people when he returned home and often battled mammoth crowds wherever he set foot in the years that followed.
Although Lindbergh wasn't the first to cross the Atlantic by air - that feat was performed by John Alcock and Arthur Brown, who flew from Newfoundland to Ireland eight years earlier - Lindbergh was the first to go solo and almost doubled the distance of the aforementioned ocean flight in his 5810km journey from New York to Paris. Many died trying to undertake that journey, lured by the lucrative promise of the Orteig Prize.
Simply taking off was an achievement on its own due to the extreme fuel loads needed - and Lindbergh then battled for more than 33 hours without any modern navigational equipment or even a view ahead as his specially-designed plane, The Spirit of St Louis, placed the fuel tank in front of the cabin to optimise weight distribution.
It's quite fitting, then that Lindbergh received a special mention on Thursday morning when Bertrand Piccard landed the Solar Impulse 2 in Seville, Spain, after completing the world's first solar-powered transatlantic flight.
Besides crossing such a vast ocean without a drop of fuel, what makes it a remarkable feat is that Piccard endured 71 solo hours in the cockpit, where he had to survive on short naps of no more than 20 minutes at a time.
The 58-year-old Swiss pilot and adventurer said he thought about Lindbergh a lot during his ocean crossing: “I met him when I was 11, we were both at the Apollo 12 take-off, and for me Lindbergh is one of these heroes who did what no one thought was possible,” he told AFP.
“Magical” experience
Though not mobbed by millions, Piccard was met with applause when he landed at Seville airport just before 7h40, and the Spanish air force also treated him to a surprise acrobatic display.
Piccard described the experience of flying noise-free as “magical” and recounted whale and iceberg sightings, but it wasn't all plain sailing, er.. flying, as he also endured a long night of turbulence. He was guided by a group of meteorologists and engineers.
This flight was the 15th leg of an around-the-globe solar trip that Piccard and fellow countryman Andre Borschberg are undertaking, the pair taking turns for the various stages.
In fact, Borschberg deserves his very own set of medals for the flights he has undertaken, particularly the 6437km stretch between Japan and Hawaii, which became the longest non-stop journey in aviation history at 118 hours. Now just imagine being in the air in a cramped cockpit for just under five days without any proper sleep!
Around the world in 35 400km!
The solar plane weighs about the same as an average car but has a wingspan equivalent to a Boeing 747 and the solar energy is stored by 17 000 photovoltaic cells, which power four electric motors. If you were wondering whey the trips take so long, by our standards, consider that the plane typically has a top speed of just 48km/h, although pilots can achieve double that if there's full sunlight.
The round-the-world trip started on 9 March 2015 in Abu Dhabi and there has been some down-time in between. The next leg sees Piccard take a break as Borschberg tackles the leg from Spain to Egypt. The trip is expected to have totalled 35 400km by the time Piccard lands back in Abu Dhabi, which is expected to happen in early July.
Lindbergh would certainly doff his cap.