Blog posts | Perlan Project

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Blog

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.

Work and Play in Patagonia

If I miss a day with a new blog so much seems to happen! But with 15 quality folks in El Calafate driven to make Airbus Perlan Mission II a success, that's not really a surprise! While the western US has record heat waves, we are waking up to snow and ice with -6 C temps in El Calafate. We covered the Perlan 2 with the CloudDancer covers inside the hangar when forecast winds were for gusts of 65 kts. That didn't actually happen, but in the past year 3 of the the upper windows of the hangar have blown out.

Perlan 2 Work and Play

When we think there's wave we will always try to fly Perlan 2. However it is winter, and we are not that far from Antartica. Jim spotted an iceberg in the lake near the airport when we first arrived. On July 25, 2017 Airbus Perlan Mission II had lots of surface wind in El Calafate, but from the north. That made poorly organized wave and a strong crosswind. There were actually strong wind warnings for most of Patagonia. The team stayed in the hangar working, while hoping that the winds would swing more westerly. Didn't happen.

In Flight Photos from First Wave Flight

Perlan2's first wave flight over Patagonia was July 24, 2017. Tim Gardner was able to capture the unparalleled beauty of the lakes, mountains, and clouds of Patagonia. The first photo shows the town of El Calafate in bottom right. Tim uses a full tint visor which Alec photoed just before pressurization testing on the ramp. No possibility to open the vent and put the camera outside as can be done with a non-pressurized glider!

First Wave Flight Argentina 2017 - July 24 '17

On Monday July 24, 2017 the Airbus Perlan Mission II team went all out to make a wave flight happen. The balloon team launched early and their data confirmed it was marginal for wave. We like winds from the west but there was a significant band of wind from the north at mid levels. So any wave would be capped low, yet the surface winds were very brisk.

Who Flew Today?

Saturday July 22, 2017 Who flew today? If you guessed Jim, Tim or Morgan you would be wrong. And Miguel is due next week. So who flew?

Airbus Perlan Mission II Telemetry

First 2017 Argentina Test Flight

On July 18, 2017 Airbus Perlan Mission II took to the skies over Patagonia. Jim Payne and Tim Gardner in Perlan 2 made a short check flight with no expectation to try for altitude. There are so many integral components to a successful high altutude wave flight. All must be tested prior to the big day. All personnel must be ready, weather balloon launched early, glider serviced with full battery, oxygen, and air, the tow plane functioning, telemetry set up, weather analyzed, coordination with the tower briefed, cockpits loaded, camera displays on, look at the skies, pressurization checks 100 percent, and finally radio comms with tower maintained prior to tow out.

Hangar Day

On July 16 we were hopeful to get the first wave flight accomplished. Unfortunately the cross winds were gusting 47 knots 40 degrees off the runway heading. We look at forecasts for low, mid level and high altitude wave. Mid level was very soft. Last year we found it impossible to climb through mid level with no lift even though you could see lennies above the glider. So instead of flying, we made it a productive hangar day. Horacio from La Nacion newspaper was at hangar before 8. He got lots of photos including group shots. Martin did as well.

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