Press Release

Issued by National Business Aviation Association.

July 17, 2018

The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) is pleased to announce that Solar Impulse project chair Bertrand Piccard will be among the speakers at the Day One Keynote at this year's NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), which takes place October 16-18 in Orlando, Florida.

Piccard is an internationally recognized aviation innovator who piloted Solar Impulse 2, the first airplane to fly around the world without a drop of fuel. He also recently launched the World Alliance for Efficient Solutions, whose goal is selecting 1,000 solutions that would protect the environment in a profitable way.

These solutions are to be offered to world decision makers at COP24; the 24th session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP 24), which is scheduled for December 3-14 in Katowice, Slaskie, Poland. The World Alliance also hopes to encourage these leaders to adopt more ambitious environmental targets and energy policies.

“Bertrand Piccard pushes the boundaries of the possible with his pioneering spirit,” said Chris Strong, NBAA senior vice president of conventions and membership. “That pioneering spirit is among the hallmarks of the business aviation industry, and we know convention attendees will be inspired by his personal story and perspectives about what is possible in aviation and beyond.”

The Solar Impulse project was created to demonstrate the abilities of renewable energies and promote energy savings. The Solar Impulse Efficient Solution label seeks to bridge the gap between ecology and economy, bringing together protection of the environment and financial viability to show that these solutions are not expensive fixes to problems, but rather opportunities for clean economic growth.

The Solar Impulse 2 solar-powered aircraft departed from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, traversed Asia, then completed its longest leg from Japan to Hawaii. On that leg, the aircraft's batteries sustained substantial damage that required repair, but the flight eventually continued from Hawaii to California, across the U.S., over the Atlantic Ocean to Spain and back to its starting point in Abu Dhabi. Solar Impulse 2 completed its 26,000-mile round-the-world mission without using a drop of fuel in July 2016.

Piccard was a speaker at the opening session for the 2017 edition of the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE).

NBAA-BACE is business aviation's most important annual event, where participants have an unequaled opportunity to view the latest business aircraft, products, technology, and services the industry offers. Held this year at the Orange County Convention Center and Orlando Executive Airport, the event also offers a premier networking venue and dozens of educational sessions.