Has it ever happened to you... an event sparks something when you least expect it. That is what happened to me on Saturday. My family was invited to a bit of a behind the scenes for the Solar Plane called Solar Impulse. I love aviation, Gregg is a private pilot, and my family has gone to more airshows than the Blue Angels. But I almost didn't go.
And If I'd not gone, I would have missed something incredible... but I didn't miss it.. i went and I was inspired when I least expected it.
We arrived at the Udvar Hazy Air Space Museum at Dulles Airport, right near my house
we followed the signs
Past the space shuttle.. yes it REALLY IS as awesome to walk past it as you think it is!
Out back to a tent... a very BIG tent
Where the First Solar Powered Aircraft (to fly both night and day) sits.. with it's HUGE wingspan of almost 208 feet
yes you read that right 208 FEET, about the same as a 747.
This is a Swiss project created by Swiss psychiatrist and pilot Bertrand Piccard, who co-piloted the first balloon to circle the world non-stop, and the other plane's pilot Swiss businessman André Borschberg. CLICK HERE to read more at their website
Bertrand was not feeling well and we thought we might not hear him speak or be able to meet him. Our Swiss contact said she had been told he needed to rest to get better so he could fly the last leg to NYC.
But at the last minute we heard he would be over.
His 20 minute talk was inspirational. He talked about the "Pioneering Spirit" of mankind.
This is from the website "With each of their great "firsts", the adventurers of the last century constantly pushed back the limits of the impossible. Today, the drive to make new discoveries must go on, with the aim of improving the quality of life on our planet. By writing the next pages in aviation history with solar energy, and voyaging around the world without fuel or pollution, Solar Impulse's ambition is for the world of exploration and innovation to contribute to the cause of renewable energies, to demonstrate the importance of clean technologies for sustainable development; and to place dreams and emotions back at the heart of scientific adventure.
By going beyond the question of energy, Solar Impulse would also like to encourage each and every one of us to become pioneers in our own lives, in our ways of thinking and behaving"
His talk was personal about why HE was inspired to do what everyone said could not be done, develop a solar plane.
And he was inspirational to encourge us to be a "Pioneer" .. to try things.. to do the impossible.
This really resonated with me. Meeting him was a bit like meeting Wright Brothers. They had a dream of something that changed the world. Bertrand told us in his talk that so many of the things they did for plane are ground breaking technology, things that can be used in many industries, not just aviation. THAT is incredible to me, to see this inperson instead of just reading about it on the internet.
Afterwards we had a few minutes to talk, here he is talking to Gregg about building planes. Gregg has one in progress (yes.. a REAL plane)
And my family with Bertrand!
They have a email list you can join and if you join now, they are taking all the names on a stick on the plane to NYC, their last stop on the US tour. All the names are going to be rolling on a marquee in Times Square.. I signed up! http://www.solarimpulse.com/en/
I have been thinking about yesterday since we left, so happy I went and was unexpectedly inspired!
And to end.. the Super Moon last night, Gregg took this photo with a tripod
