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.
The high altitude Perlan 2 glider is almost ready to soar over Patagonia! After several days of checking systems and installing upgrades it was time to put the wings on. Everyone was really excited to be this close to flying. The hangar of AeroClub Lago Argentino was filled with activity and anticipation.
Airbus Perlan Mission II is getting ready for Argentina Campaign 2019! Yesterday the container which shipped from Minden, Nevada over two months ago was unloaded in El Calafate, Argentina. In Minden, it took more than 7 days to pack the container with the Perlan 2 glider, all the equipment and the necessary spares for safely operating at a remote location in Patagonia. Yesterday with the enthusastic team of 20 ready to go to work, it only took 70 minutes to unload!
We got the good news that the Egrett and the Perlan container were released from Mendoza customs!
While the 2019 Perlan Argentina team awaited the container (full blog someday) we have been very productive. There have been several meetings with Argentine organizations to coordinate activities (future blog). But we also took advantage of the nearby iconic Patagonia sites. Morgan made this fabulous photo earlier of sunset over El Chalten with a clear skyline imposed with a familiar logo. A fair weather visit to the glacier Perito Moreno was in order and I captured a photo of ice chunk breaking off the 200 foot face. That's a massive Patagonian hay wagon.
A question that we frequently get at presentations is "Why didn't you keep climbing if the lift was still there?" Even engineers and pilots don't necessarily understand (or respect) what flutter at these unexplored altitudes and associated fast true airspeeds can rapidly do to an airframe. Theoretical equations are not proven experience. We have done all that we can to approach this challenge with discipline. We don't want a case of "summit fever" to destroy all our preparations.
The Airbus Perlan Mission II team has begun to gather in southern Argentina in El Calafate. High altitude clouds over Lago Argentino welcome Perlan Project to our second home for 2 months. We have found a place to hang our hats (and jackets and gloves) in our home in El Calafate. Our stalwart CEO Ed Warnock and purser Linda Warnock were first to arrive in El Calafate. However Tim Gardner came a week earlier to Mendoza to pick up supplies and a truck to drive south. Tim and Victor Paz (bilingual friend of Perlan) stopped in Comodoro Rivadavia to give a mission brief to the EANA controllers (like ATC Center Control in US) who work the unusual high altitude pressurized glider flights.
After 4 extremely successful check flights of Perlan 2 in Minden it was time to pack and ship the container to Patagonia. This is a huge endeavor on the part of several team members over a week time frame. To safely fly from a remote area you must bring spares of any critical items. There's no overnight shipping or big box stores where we are going.
Airbus Perlan Mission II is ready for 2019! On May 28-29, 2019 after extensive software and equipment upgrades, Perlan 2 took to the skies over Minden. Jim Payne, Tim Gardner, and Morgan Sandercock were the pilots and Dana Pierson was the new tow pilot behind a SoaringNV Pawnee. (Silvio is on vacation.) After the first flight Chief Pilot Jim Payne said "Perlan's upgrades work! Great to be flying again." Co-pilot Tim Gardner agreed, " All the hard work has paid off. Unconditional success!" And Jackie Payne, Chief of Logistics concurred, "Morgan Sandercock has seriously upgraded telemetry and added IMU data to the mix. Fabulous accomplishment!"