André Borschberg (FRSGS) is a Swiss entrepreneur, explorer, pilot, and speaker. He is the co-founder of the Solar Impulse project, the first ever round-the-world solar flight, successfully completed in July 2016. During the Japan-to-Hawaii leg, André broke the world record for longest solo flight in an airplane of any kind: 117 hours and 52 minutes, breaking Steve Fossett's 2006 record. Before that, on 7 July 2010, André completed the first 24-hour solar-powered flight. The flight set records for the longest manned solar-powered flight and the greatest height reached by a manned solar aircraft.
Borschberg in 2011
The longest non-stop solo airplane flight in history (4 days, 21 hours and 51 minutes) was achieved by André Borschberg in the Swiss solar airplane Solar Impulse 2 (2015).
Solar Impulse is a Swiss long-range experimental solar-powered aircraft project, and also the name of the project's two operational aircraft. The privately financed project is led by Swiss engineer and businessman André Borschberg and Swiss psychiatrist and balloonist Bertrand Piccard, who co-piloted Breitling Orbiter 3, the first balloon to circle the world non-stop. The Solar Impulse project's goals were to make the first circumnavigation of the Earth by a piloted fixed-wing aircraft using only solar power and to bring attention to clean technologies.
Solar Impulse
Solar Impulse 1 – fuselage and motors
Solar Impulse 1 during its first "flea hop" test flight in Dübendorf on 3 December 2009
Solar Impulse 1 at Brussels Airport in May 2011.