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GREEN MAN: Piccard will take to the skies again, this time in a solar-powered aircraft. -- ST PHOTO: JOYCE FANG
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BERTRAND Piccard will have you know that it is more comfortable flying in a hot-air balloon than in a plane.
And you can take his word for it. In 1999, he spent 20 days floating around the world in a balloon - the first man ever to do so.
It is hard to pin down whether the Swiss-born Piccard, 49, is a scientist, adventurer, explorer or environmentalist.
Prior to his ballooning exploits, he was the European pioneer of hang-gliding and microlighting, and a champion in hang-glider aerobatics.
The trained psychiatrist is also a sought-after motivational speaker at public and corporate seminars.
His current challenge is to fly around the world in a solar-powered aircraft. He wants to highlight the importance of technology in fulfilling basic needs in an environmentally friendly way.
He is married to an economist, Michele, 46, with whom he has three daughters aged 13 to 17. He was here earlier this month to appear as a panelist in CNN Future Summit: Saving Planet Earth. The programme is being shown on CNN (StarHub Channel 14) till Jan 2.
Which do you think is the worst airport?
There are plenty of good airports in the world but there are two I try to avoid. One is Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport.
Do you know what's the difference between the Paris airport and the Bible? In the Bible, the chaos is only in the end. In the Paris airport, it's all the time. It is disorganised.
I also don't like London's Heathrow because you can carry only one piece of hand luggage on board. I always have a laptop case and a suit with me, so I always have a problem.
Which airline do you think has the best service and food?
I like Swiss International Airlines, but I think Singapore Airlines is a big rival.
The service in Swiss Airlines is very good. They serve each passenger as a person.
Singapore Airlines' Business Class has got a very high standard. When I flew in on its Business Class, I thought it was the First Class. Its seats are extremely good and so is the comfort.
Ever had a scary flight, or something interesting on a flight, before?
Once, when I was seated next to a woman I did not know, about four years ago.
We had a turbulent flight and each time the plane rocked, she would panic. So I asked her why she was so frightened, and she said it was because the airplane was moving.
I explained to her each time the plane moved, it was because the pilot was reacting to the conditions.
She looked at me and said: 'I never thought of it that way. So each time the plane is moving, it's because the pilot is correcting the flight in a good way?' I said yes and she started to relax.
'Thank you. Now I'm not afraid anymore. Thank you for the therapy,' she said.
Has your luggage been lost before?
I lost my luggage in Paris about four years ago when I was going to the United States for a 12-day holiday with my family.
The luggage only arrived four days later but I had already lost one-third of that holiday as I was on the beach with no diving gear. We were on an island where we couldn't buy much.
I asked Air France to reimburse me for the lost time and it did so by giving me two complimentary round- trip tickets to North America or Europe.
Which is better, travelling on a hot-air balloon or a plane?
The plane brings you to a precise place within hours. With the balloon, it took me 20 days to go around the world and I had to make three attempts before I succeeded. So it is not as reliable.
Which is more comfortable?
The balloon is more comfortable because we had a bed and a pressurised cabin, so it was like a First Class flight.
How do you handle jetlag?
I use self-hypnosis a lot. It's a way to use your inner resources and to relax. I do it by controlling my breathing and it allows me to save some of my energy. But one important thing about jetlag is that if I lack sleep, I try to wait till the next night in order to sleep.
frankiec@sph.com.sg
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