GREAT HEIGHTS
Einar Enevoldson was soaring through the sky at 50,722 feet, a world record for a sailplane or glider, but something was seriously wrong. Enevoldson and his copilot, the celebrated aviator, adventurer, and millionaire Steve Fossett, were wearing NASA-designed pressure suits that were supposed to enable them to survive flying in an unpressurized aircraft at such heights. But the suits were expanding, hindering any movement and preventing the men from reaching the aircraft’s controls. They were also doing very little to keep the aviators warm as external temperatures dropped below -65°C.
The pair landed safely that day. But although Enevoldson had just set an altitude record, he knew that to achieve his dream of piloting a glider above 90,000 feet and surviving, significant improvements needed to be made.
Enter the Perlan Project. Founded by Enevoldson, the project consists of a team of experts in aviation, engineering, and meteorology, brought together to shatter the altitude record for flight in a glider. After more than two
