A Swiss pilot and explorer is attempting to set a new 10,000-metre flight record with a solar and electric plane, hoping to fly as high as commercial airliners.
Pilot Raphael Domjan, from Neuchatel, in Switzerland, plans to set a new record taking off from a base in Valais in his Swiss homeland.
The explorer, who says that he became an adventurer due to his deep curiosity and passion for discovering the world and redefining what is possible with solar energy, told Swiss media: “Our goal is to become the highest-flying electric and solar aircraft in history.
“That is to say, we want to go beyond what Bertrand Picard achieved, 9,235 metres, and we would like to go above 10,000 metres to fly with a solar and electric plane at the same height as commercial airliners.
“This really would be a world first.”
Domjan, who said that his scariest moments have been travelling across the Pacific Ocean in the middle of a storm on board an electric and solar-powered boat, explained: “The challenge will be to have good weather and to find helpful winds that will help us climb in altitude.”
He believes that electric and solar aircraft represent the future, saying: “We can change, we can stop burning these 300 tonnes of fossil fuels per second as we are currently doing.”
His activities in the field support his goals of ensuring a more sustainable future for everyone.
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Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
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