Family history

Bertrand originates from a famous family:

Its grandfather, Augusts Piccard (1884-1962), explored 1931 on 16.000 m height the stratosphere and was first humans, who dipped with a bathyscaphe into the deepest place of the ocean.

Its father, Jacques Piccard (*1922) broke the deep sea dipping world record and dipped in the Marianengraben on -10.916 m down. He built the first tourist submarine of the world, investigated for 1969 the gulf stream and uses themselves for the life in the sea.

Youth

With 16 years Bertrand Piccard counted delta flies and flies of ultralight aircraft to the European pioneers in. He was a flight instructor for delta flies and ultralight aircraft and investigated that for flies in all his forms: Distance, height, Akrobatik, start of Montgolfieren, powered flight, hanging glider and parachute. Piccard was European champion in aerobatics, owner of a world record in altitude and several "“world premieres"”. It crossed the alps in the ultralight aircraft in the direction Switzerland Italy as the first.

But more than records and adventures bind him with flies the study of the human behavior and the observation of the different consciousness levels in extreme situations. Delta flies became for it a laboratory of the psychology. He became a physician and specialized later in psychiatry and Psychotherapie for adults, children and young people as well as the Hypnose. After its activity as a Chefarzt in a department at the university hospital Piccard opens its own practice for Psychotherapie, where he organizes also Hypnoseausbildungskurse.

Balloon drive

Interestingly enough it returns due to its physician activity again for family tradition, the balloon flight. He took part as copilot, physician and Hypnotiseur in the Chrysler Challenge, the first transatlantic balloon competition with start in the USA. Together with Wim amplifier advice it wins this historical running and lands after 5 days and 5,000 km in Spain. For Bertrand Piccard becomes this flight a revealing. After 18 years sliding flies, at which with local upwinds (thermionics) one works, he discovers a new kind with this transatlantic balloon flight to fly, itself from a steadily blowing of letting only locally not working wind lead to unknown quantity. A dream begins to germinate: to bypass the world, without intermediate stop, without engine, without tax, completely simply of the wind floated. Altogether 10 teams with 21 starts tried to create this orbiting since 1981, but it did not succeed.

Non stop Ballonfahrt approximately around the earth

Bertrand succeeded it, Swiss Uhrmacher Breitling of the last large adventure 20. Century, the Non stop Ballonfahrt approximately around the earth to convince and could win it as a main sponsor.

1. Attempt

After three years preparation time started the Breitling orbiter on 12 January 1997 in d'"Œx. A kerosene loss terminates this first attempt prematurely.

2. Attempt

Also the 2. Attempt failed. On 8 February 1998 Breitling orbiter 2 in Burma must touch down because of an overflight/flyover prohibition of China. It had nevertheless flown longer than any airship, by having remained 9 days, 17 hours and 51 minutes in air.

3. Attempt

At the 1. March 1999 it, together with the Britisher Brian Jones as a copilot, started with the Breitling orbiter 3 in d'"Œx in Switzerland and landed after 46,000 kilometers flight in Egypt. In 19 days, 21 hours and 47 minutes he created the first world circling without intermediate stop. It carried out thereby the longest flight both in duration and at distance of whole aviation history and set up altogether 7 world records.

Honors

• Olympic medals
• Gold medal of the French youth and sport Ministry (officer degree)
• Honor of the Aronautique international one
• Honor that national Geographic Society
• Honor of the Explorers club
• Doctor of the natural sciences honoris causa
• Grand Prix de of the Sciences Morales et Politiques
• different other honors

and from the UN to the Goodwill Ambassador of the population fund (UNFPA) one appointed.

Donation of wind OF Hope

Together with Brian Jones it created the donation of "“wind OF Hope"” which relief organizations supported, which admitted a suffering against few fought and are hardly supported. "“Wind OF Hope"” wants to inform the media about unakzeptierbare situations in the world and to bring thus the political instances to seize emergency measures and to call both the public and the enterprises for the financial support of certain humanitarian actions.

Current project

The current project of Piccard is special the Nonstop Erdumrundung with a glider with solar auxiliary drive, built for it. The project has the name "“solarly impulses"”.

Books

• "“Quand le vent souffle dans le sens de clay/tone Chemin"…"” (out of print)
• "“Une trace dans le Ciel"”
• "“With the wind around the world"” (frz. Original title "“Le route you moons EN 20 jours"”, CO author Brian Jones

Related links

• Homepage von Bertrand Piccard (close. o. franz.)
• Donation of wind OF Hope (close)
• Website over the balloon and the world orbiting (close. o. franz.)
• http://www.orbiterballoon.com/">Website of Brian Jones (close)

Articles in category "Bertrand Piccard"

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