Perlan Project Sells Opportunities to Fly The World's Most Amazing Glider

Dec. 14, 2013 - PRLog -- Beaverton, December 15^th, 2013 – Perlan Project Inc., a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit aeronautical exploration and atmospheric science research organization that utilizes sailplanes (gliders) designed to fly at extremely high altitudes, is selling the experience of a lifetime, a chance to pilot the world’s most amazing glider, via their indiegogo.com crowdfunding campaign - http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/perlan-mission-ii-soaring-a-glider-to-90-000-feet/x/5051980

The current pilot team includes chief pilot and member of the Soaring Hall of Fame, Jim Payne, former exchange officer of the Royal Air Force and former NASA research pilot, Einar Enevoldson, the world’s first space tourist and founder of the Inspiration Mars Foundation, Dennis Tito and Morgan Sandercock, glider pilot and flying instructor.

In addition to purchasing the right to join this illustrious team, contributors may opt to place a photo of a loved one, a group or themselves on the aircraft (FACE IN SPACE), pre-purchase a video of the entire mission, join the ground crew or flight test crew or make a donation to specific need of the mission.

The Indiegogo.com crowdfunding campaign was launched on December 18^th and will continue through to December 31^st.

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The Perlan Project Story

From 1992-98, Perlan’s founder and NASA test pilot Einar Enevoldson collected evidence on a weather phenomenon that no one at the time even knew existed: stratospheric mountain waves.  Like huge ocean waves, these waves of air are kicked off by strong winds blowing over the tops of high mountain ranges like the Andes.  These waves of air then shoot straight up towards space.  As a pilot, Einar quickly figured out that you can use a glider to ride those waves all the way up to near space.  And he set out to prove it.  This became The Perlan Project.

In 1998 meteorologist Dr. Elizabeth Austin teamed up with Einar and expanded upon his findings proving that it is the stratospheric polar night jet and the polar vortex that are factors in sustaining these mountain waves allowing them to reach up to 130,000 feet into the middle stratosphere.

In 1999 Steve Fossett, the record-setting aviator, sailor, adventurer and first person to fly solo non-stop around the world in a balloon, heard about it and decided to fund The Project and become one of its pilots.

On August 30, 2006 Steve Fossett and Einar Enevoldson smashed the existing altitude record for gliders by soaring up to 50,671 feet (15,460m) in a standard glider using these stratospheric waves of air.

And they could have gone even higher!

The problem was that their pressure suits expanded so much inside the cabin that they couldn’t move the flight controls and safely control the aircraft anymore. So they came down, and quickly decided they needed a custom glider with a pressurized cabin.

. . . . . Perlan Mission II was born.

For more information, to schedule an interview with any of the pilots or if you require images, please contact Perlan Project at info@perlanproject.org

LINKS

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI9uN4WbOPs CAMPAIGN VIDEO



http://www.nytimes.com/video/science/100000002508894/soaring-to-the-stratosphere.html

NY TIMES VIDEO ARTICLE

http://vimeo.com/58828543#at=0

INTERVIEW WITH PRINCIPAL METEOROLOGIST Dr. Elizabeth Austin, Ph.D.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/22/science/quiet-trip-to-the-ozone-hole.html?_r=1& (http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/22/science/quiet-trip-to-the-ozone-hole.html?_r=1&)

NY TIMES ARTICLE

www.perlanproject.org