So? Tago’s 5-0 !!! Tago DePietro has been the Argentine coordinator of logistics for Perlan since the early days of Steve Fossett and Einar Enevoldson. When I realized Tago’s 50th birthday would be during our El Calafate preparation time, it was the perfect excuse for a Perlan team party. After he finished the radio interview about this year’s Perlan campaign, we were ready for him in the hangar.
Maria Jose kept the secret and got us all alien antennae to wear. The helium for the weather ballons needed to be tested, of course. A new twirling birthday candle which also played Happy Birthday vied with the Argentine favorite “Fireworks Candle.” (Let it be noted that we did not import the fireworks. That was procured locally!) I am pretty sure there were multiple cakes involved. And we had a lovely team dinner at La Tablita joined by Jamie, Claire, Diego, German, Patricia, Guadeloupe, Julio and Bettina.
Tago is one-in-a-million and everything would be more difficult if Perlan Project did not have him to keep us out of trouble! Perlan se eleva!
