Perlan’s blog collects the thoughts and experiences of team members from the multiple disciplines needed to build and prepare the aircraft, plan the flight, and carry out the mission. Here, you’ll find insights from the designers, craftspeople, pilots, meteorologists, and support personnel who will make Perlan’s record ascents a reality. Perlan’s blog will be an opportunity to delve into the challenges and triumphs that travel with the giant sailplane.
Teachers in Space arrived at the Perlan hangar on April 23. Liz Kennick, Joe Latrell, Chris Murphy, and Austin Reese pitched in immediately with a ground test being conducted for the glider. That's Austin's CubeSat experiment in his hands in the red case.
On Sunday April 24 Perlan Project did a static load test to verify the tail was strong enough to withstand the maximum opening shock from the rear drogue chute. The glider was held taunt between a snow plow in the front and from behind a Ford 250 pickup strapped to a Chevy Suburban.
Minden Wave Camp sponsored by SoaringNV was held April 5 - 10, 2016. Perlan Project was well represented by team members Einar and Susana, Ed and Linda, Tim, Stewart, Morgan, Doug, Jim and Jackie.
On April 8, 2016 Flight Test Pilot and Engineer Miguel Iturmendi presented to the regional meeting of SETP in Florida. His description of the Perlan 2 glider, and the Perlan Project was of high interest to over 100 other Test Pilots. Turns out that several of the currently active Air Force TPs were students of Jim Payne at the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB.
On March 21, 2016 the Airbus Perlan 2 pressurized sailplane made its first climbing wave flight. The all-volunteer Perlan Team has accomplished this critical milestone after an amazing amount of effort from the core team.
The Perlan Project is very close to completely self-contained pressurized wave flight. We have test flown the sealed hatches using Mountain High EDS cannulas, but the last critical milestone was installing the (Darth Vader) rebreathers.
We have been extremely busy in Minden with getting the Perlan ready for pressurized flight. That finally happened! And Dr. Tom Enders (the top boss of Airbus) with other senior Airbus management team from Europe and USA came to fly on March 4, 2016.
On February 28, 2016 The Airbus Perlan 2 glider took to the skies while pressurized. This was a historic day for Perlan Project and one of final critical milestones prior to beginning altitude wave soaring in this unique aircraft.