What's it all about, Alfie?

If you're as perplexed about the nature of the adventure I'm about to embark on over the next three months as I am - watch this:

What in San José's name does Wes Anderson's masterpiece, The Life Aquatic, have to do with Solar Impulse's Across America mission ?

Or in the very least, what I'll be up to?

Well, in my admittedly overactive imagination, I'll be her:

Yes I realise that's Cate Blanchett. But here she is playing the role of very British reporter Jane Winslett-Richardson, who comes along to chronicle the voyage aboard the jolly ship Belafonte. Enter Helena C. Humphrey, gearing up to tear after a couple of Swiss adventurers and their solar powered plane, doing the U S of A coast to coast thing.

Naturally there are important distinctions to be made between Steve Zissou's madcap quest and that of Dr. Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg's. (madcap not being one of them).

1. Our pioneers are taking to the skies rather than the seas. 

2. Fingers crossed the whole affair won't be nearly as ill-fated:

3. And, unlike the inspirational leading lady, I'm not up the duff:

But hopefully you catch my drift. N.B. key wardrobe similarities - during last year's flights between Switzerland and Morocco the team displayed a penchant for clothing me in "jumpsuit" like attire:

The promising news is that Solar Impulse HB-SIA has now successfully completed two rounds of tests flights over the heart of Silicon Valley and its environs, giving it the green light to attempt to fly from the NASA base in California to JFK airport in NYC, with plenty of intriguing stop-offs along the way. *PR bit ends, cue howls of ROAD TRIP* ...

10 days and counting 'til I leave Switzerland, so I'll return to packing my reporting essentials: tape-recorder, hairspray, pens and a parachute (you never know) and will be on the road, broadcasting live, from May.

Remember to check back here regularly for all the tales I won't be telling on the telly, as I chase two Swiss men across the United States, from West to East.

Beatnik cool be it not, but to me it's still the stuff a fair few (American) dreams are made of.

Fondest Regards,

Helena