LOIC BLAISE: PILOT, EXPLORER, INNOVATOR
AND ADVOCATE FOR GLOBAL HEALTH, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF THE NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION «PLANE B» IN SWITZERLAND
Renowned and awarded aviator Loïc Blaise has been named «Explorer of the Year 2018» for his outstanding achievements, after completing the first aerial circumnavigation of the Arctic.
Following in the footsteps of legendary figures such as Mike Horn and Bertrand Piccard, Loïc’s initiatives are especially significant given his battle with multiple sclerosis, a challenge that he has turned into a source of strength. With the floatplane «Polar Kid», Loïc did not just lead an expedition, he challenged everyone and made it clear that technology and innovation are necessary, but that the most important thing in global change is caring for people and preserving nature. By nurturing our world and communities, we ultimately heal ourselves. The world does not stand still. Loïc continues his twin approach of searching for both ancient knowledges and breakthrough technologies. He is involved in the development of the world’s first aircraft that will produce more energy in flight than it consumes. 
Loïc, you are a famous pilot, tell us about your journey. Why did you decide to go beyond the Arctic Circle?
It was a long-standing dream and a conscious idea. At that time, the doctors said I could not fly any longer, but I wanted to make it clear that nothing is lost as long as you keep a fighting spirit. In 2018, I flew a prototype seaplane beyond the Arctic Circle. It was the last unopened air route. In 45 days, I covered 25,000 km, crossed 7 seas, 3 continents and 3 oceans. This mission was not only an endurance mission but was meant to be a powerful call to protect fragile nature and endangered populations. The Arctic is a sentinel region, what happens there is a window on what will happen to us. And well, it is happening fast. 
What impressed you most?
The expedition revealed the destructive effects of global warming and obvious climate change. But not only that. Also, pollution that has reached the ends of the Earth. I met endangered peoples - from Siberia to Greenland - who helped me realize that our world is fragile and needs to be protected, and that modern innovations must be combined with primordial wisdom. 
Tell us more about your ultralight floatplane.
Polar Kid was born from my passion for research and my experience as a pilot.
The created floatplane had to overcome all obstacles, while leaving a minimal footprint. Sometimes, refocusing on efficiency and simplicity is the best way to achieve impactful results. But Polar Kid still had its own limitations. We could not go electric because there is no grid in the arctic and the technology was not ready.
This is what we solve now with our new plane : fully self-sufficient to access regions without infrastructures, and lithium-free to withstand extreme weather and avoid replacing one scarce and polluting resource by another, it makes no sense. This experience with Polar Kid’s limitations directly inspired our next breakthrough: the «Plane B». As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said, to be human is to feel that you are responsible for everything. To burn with shame for poverty, even though it seems to exist and is not your fault. And to know that by laying a stone, you help build the world. This is our mission! Also during the expedition, I shot footage that formed the basis for documentaries. 
Which ones, please name.
Two documentaries have been made: «The Incredible Journey of Polar Kid» (2017) by Mike Magidson about my expeditions, and «Greenland: Sons of the Sun and Moon» (2020) by Christine Oberdorff about a Greenlandic foster care house I work with. In 2018, I was awarded the Adventurer of the Year, received a medal from the International Aviation Federation, the Hacking Health 2018 award for the Copilot method and app, and many others... but honestly the medals are bitter when you see the scope of what needs to be done for the planet and its people. It is not a time for shows and congratulations, it is a time for action.
So I founded «Plane B» in Switzerland, to develop a new generation of aircraft leveraging deeptech breakthroughs that will revolutionize the paradigm of mobility industries. Energy positive solutions for off-grid operations. For good. But technology alone can’t save the world. Humanity can. 
Tell us about your new project.
I called my new project PLANE B - ODYSSEY FOR LIFE. It is about reaching the unreachable, without harming our planet. The plane «L’Oiseau» (Bird) is a world first, capable of reaching the most remote areas of our planet without any external energy, reducing the cost of off-grid operations, from science to aid delivery, by 75%. «L’Oiseau» will be completely self- sufficient and ready for extreme conditions, from permafrost to scorching deserts. While we opratye at the tip of the innovation arrow, you can easily imagine that this technology can be used in the future in a wide variety of areas.
For the moment, the PLANE B - ODYSSEY FOR LIFE is designed to operate for 5 years in the most challenging environments, performing iterative improvements, in partnership with NGOs, scientists and communities that will benefit from the technologies at the end of the process.
Our specific goals are to build the plane in series by 2030, alongside revolutionary energy production and storage units for field operations. There are a billion people on Earth with no access to energy, healthcare, education or economic opportunities. This is what we challenge. And in these areas, there are also incredible initiatives led by people that are unsung heroes, with an unmatched frugal creativity, we want to empower them. Solutions come from people on the field, they need to be acknowledged, and we need to think collectively. We will be happy to introduce you to our mission, the breakthrough technologies involved, and who knows, maybe you will be our first passenger on our unique plane. 
JOIN US EMPOWERING POSITIVE CHANGE!
Contacts:
Loïc Blaise
Plane B - Fonds de dotation Léonard, Paris Plane B Verein, General-Wille-STrasse 201, 8706 Meilen, Suisse /Switzerland,
CHE+401.155.630