Born 1st March 1958 in Lausanne, Switzerland, married and father of three children. Medical doctor, specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy for adults and children.

Lecturer and supervisor for the Swiss Medical Hypnosis Society

Honorary Professor at Guatemala’s Franciso Maroquin University

Honorary Doctor of Science and of Letters.

European pioneer of hang-gliding and microlight flying ; European champion in hang-glider aerobatics.

Winner of the first transatlantic balloon race (Chrysler Challenge 1992).Paradoxically, it was through his work as a doctor that he was brought back to the family tradition of hot-air ballooning when, in 1992, the Belgian Wim Verstraeten suggested that he participate with him in the Chrysler Challenge, the first transatlantic balloon race. Convinced that hypnosis techniques would be a major advant

age for the management of a long-distance flight, Wim wanted to have a psychiatrist as co-pilot. This was, as it turned out, a shrewd

choice, for the Verstraeten-Piccard crew won this historic race, landing in Spain after a 5-day 5,000 km flight. For Bertrand Piccard this flight was a revelation. After 18 years of hang-gliding with the

wind in his face, this transatlantic flight showed him a new way of communing with nature : allowing himself to be propelled into the

unknown by the wind. A dream was born : to fly around the world non-stop, without motor or rudder, simply transported by the wind.

Breitling Orbiter

On 1 March 1999, Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones set off in the balloon Breitling Orbiter 3, a bright red, carbon-composite, egg-shaped craft measuring sixteen feet long and seven feet in diameter, from Château d’Oex in Switzerland on the first successful non-stop balloon circumnavigation of the globe—the first circumnavigation requiring no fuel for forward motion.^[2] Piccard and Jones, in close cooperation with a team of meteorologists on the ground, caught rides in a series of jet streams that carried them 25,361 miles to land in Egypt after a 45,755 km (28,431 mi) flight lasting 19 days, 21 hours, and 47 minutes.^[2] In recognition of this accomplishment, he received awards including the Harmon Trophy, the FAI Gold Air Medal and the Charles Green Salver.

Solar Impulse

In November 2003, he announced a project, in cooperation with the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), for a solar-powered, long-range aircraft named Solar Impulse. Piccard began construction in 2007, and conducted short test flights in 2008 with André Borschberg. By 2009, he had assembled a multi-disciplinary team of fifty specialists from six countries, assisted by approximately one hundred outside advisers.^[3]

The project is financed by a number of private companies and individuals in Europe. The first company to support the project officially was Semper, after Eric Freymond was convinced of the future success of the highly media-friendly Bertrand Piccard.^[4] Owing to international support for the project, the Solar Impulse is a European craft, not a Swiss one, despite scientific and medical support from the EPFL and Hirslanden Clinique Cecil.

In 2010, the Solar Impulse 1 (Si1) made its first nighttime flight. In 2011, it landed at Bourget Field in Paris. In 2012, it made its first intercontinental flight from Morocco to Switzerland. Originally conceived as a one-seater, the design of Solar Impulse was altered to allow two. The first intercontinental flight was made by Piccard and Borschberg together. In 2013, he and Borschberg traversed the United States from Mountain View, California to JFK Airport in New York City. There were several stops along the way, including Washington, D.C.

In 2015, the objective is to accomplish the first round-the-world solar flight in history.^[5] The voyage consists of multiple flights started on March 9 and was scheduled to conclude roughly five months later. In order to switch pilots, stopovers are scheduled at locations in India, Myanmar, China, United States, and southern Europe or northern Africa. Bertrand Piccard piloted ninth leg of the round-the-world trip and landed the Solar Impulse 2 (Si2) in Moffett Field in California on 24 April 2016 after three days of flying from Kalaeloa Airport, Hawaii.

André Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard completed their circumnavigation of the globe with the solar-powered aircraft Solar Impulse on 26 July 2016.^[6] On the same day, they announced the creation of the International Committee of Clean Technologies.^[6]

President of the Winds of Hope Foundation, destined to use the impact of the round-the-world balloon flight both in the media and the financial world to fight against forgotten sufferings, especially those affecting children. United Nations Goodwill Ambassador (UNFPA)

Official Decorations : Légion d’Honneur,; The Olympic Order ; Gold Medal of the French

Ministry of Youth and Sport Awarded the highest distinctions of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, the National

Geographic Society, the Explorer’s Club and numerous other aeronautical, scientific and sporting associations

Lecturer : (several hundred public and private lectures since 1992)

Author of “Quand le vent souffle dans le sens de ton chemin” (out of print) 1993 “Une Trace dans le ciel” (Robert Laffont, Paris) 1999

“The Greatest Adventure” (Headline, London) 1999 or “Around the world in 20 Days” (Wiley, New York) 1999