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Airbus Perlan Mission II Soars Into History, Sets New World Record for Glider Altitude
• Engineless Perlan 2 reaches 52,172 feet, breaking record set by Perlan 1 in 2006
El Calafate, Argentina, September 4, 2017 – Airbus Perlan Mission II, the world’s first
initiative to send an engineless aircraft to the edge of space, made history yesterday in the
Patagonia region of Argentina by soaring to over 52,000 feet and setting a new world altitude
record for gliding.
“We are celebrating an amazing victory for aerospace innovation and scientific discovery
today, and we’re so thankful to all the volunteers and sponsors whose years of tireless
dedication have made this achievement possible,” said Ed Warnock, CEO of The Perlan
Project. “We will continue to strive for even higher altitudes, and to continue our scientific
experiments to explore the mysteries of the stratosphere. We’ve made history, but the
learning has just begun.”
“With every Airbus Perlan Mission II milestone, we continue to learn more about how we can
fly higher, faster and cleaner. But we also learn that aviation still has the power to surprise
us, thrill us, and motivate us to find new frontiers of endeavor,” said Tom Enders, Airbus
CEO. "Perlan's outstanding aviation success is the result of bold thinking. It's this kind of
thinking that is the cornerstone of our vision for the future of Airbus, which we hope will
inspire a new generation of aerospace explorers and innovators."
Chief pilot Jim Payne and co-pilot Morgan Sandercock completed this historic Perlan 2 flight
from Comandante Armando Tola International Airport in El Calafate, Argentina, surpassing
the previous 50,727-foot world record for glider altitude that was set in the unpressurized
Perlan 1 by The Perlan Project founder Einar Enevoldson and lead project sponsor Steve
Fossett in 2006.
Airbus Perlan Mission II is an initiative to fly an engineless glider to the edge of space using
weather phenomena called stratospheric mountain waves, rising air currents that are
significantly heightened a few times a year in only a couple places on earth by the polar
vortex. The area around El Calafate, nestled within the Andes Mountains in Argentina, is one
of those rare locations where these rising air currents can reach the stratosphere.
Because of its engineless design, the Perlan 2 glider is a unique platform for scientific
discovery, and is carrying aloft on every flight experiments ranging in focus from factors
influencing climate change to radiation effects on pilots and aircraft at high altitudes.
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Following the completion of the mountain-wave gliding season in Argentina, Airbus Perlan
Mission II will return to Minden, Nevada, where the all-volunteer team will modify and
enhance the Perlan 2 glider based on information acquired in this year‘s test flights.
Ultimately, the Perlan Project will attempt to reach 90,000 feet, a world altitude record for any
wing-supported flight, with or without an engine.
Tune in to live flights of the Perlan 2 on the Airbus Perlan Mission II Virtual Cockpit at
http://bit.ly/VirtualPerlan2. Stay updated on flight schedules by following The Perlan Project
on Twitter @PerlanProject and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/perlanproject.
For more information about Airbus Perlan Mission II, please go to www.perlanproject.org.
Press Kit with images, infographic, fact sheet, and video is available at:
http://bit.ly/perlanpress. About Airbus Airbus is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. In 2016, it generated revenues of € 67 billion
and employed a workforce of around 134,000. Airbus offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners
from 100 to more than 600 seats. Airbus is also a European leader providing tanker, combat, transport and
mission aircraft, and is one of the world’s leading space companies. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most
efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide.
About Airbus Perlan Mission II
Airbus Perlan Mission II is an initiative to fly an engineless glider to the edge of space, higher than any other
winged aircraft has operated in level, controlled flight, to open up a world of new discoveries related to high-
altitude flight, weather and climate change. This historic endeavor is the culmination of decades of research and
engineering innovation, and the work of a tireless international team of aviators and scientists who volunteer their
time and expertise for the non-profit Perlan Project. The project is supported by Airbus and a group of other
sponsors that includes Weather Extreme Ltd., United Technologies and BRS Aerospace.
Perlan’s other sponsors:
United Technologies
Weather Extreme Ltd.
BRS Aerospace
Equipment, service and institutional donors:
Aero Club Lago Argentino
AGM Container Controls
ANAC
Argentina Air Force Directorate-General of Research and Development
Automated Metal Products
Biomarine Rebreathers
Bonehead Composites
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Clouddancers
Cobra Trailer
Community Foundation of Western Nevada
DeLorme inReach
Dragonfly Energy
EANA
Epic Aircraft
Garmin
Intel
Iridium Communications Inc.
Kiloyankeepapa
Laviasa
Leading Edge Jet Center
LX Nav
MH Aviation Oxygen Systems
Miller Nash Graham & Dunn
Omni
Pro-Tint
RDD
Sandia Aerospace
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
SIMCOM
SoaringNV
Soaring Society of America
Sports Aviation Foundation
Trig Avionics
University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory
Whelen Engineering
Media contacts North America: James Darcy +1 571 214 1722 [email protected] Kristina Messner +1 703 678 6023 [email protected] Latin America: Lindsy Caballero +1 305 263 7717 [email protected] Germany: Daniel Werdung +49 8960734275 [email protected] France: Matthieu Duvelleroy +33 629431564 [email protected]