WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation presented the Lindbergh Spirit medal to the pilots and co-founders of the Solar Impulse project in a special ceremony at the National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles International Airport, on June 21, 2013.
The Solar Impulse prototype HB-SIA, fueled solely by solar energy, has flown across the U.S. starting from San Francisco and stopping in Phoenix, Dallas, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Washington, D.C. before reaching its final destination, New York City. Pilots and co-founders Dr. Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg plan to fly the follow-on version of the aircraft, HB-SIB around the world in stages for the first time in 2015.
The Lindbergh Spirit medal depicts Charles and Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s pioneering flight in 1931 from New York to Tokyo, as well as Charles Lindbergh’s epic trans-Atlantic flight. The Lindbergh Foundation is headquartered in Anoka, Minnesota. The award is given for pioneering achievements in aviation.