Maiden Voyage of the Perlan 2 A Success

​Experimental glider project shines light on Redmond aviation

​By Beau Eastes / The Bulletin / @beastes
Published Sep 24, 2015 at 12:05AM / Updated Sep 24, 2015 at 05:55AMThe flight plan to 90,000 feet starts in Redmond. 

The maiden voyage of the Perlan 2, an experimental glider that hopes to eventually reach 90,000 feet, came off without a hitch Wednesday morning at the Redmond Airport. Pilots Jim Payne and Morgan Sandercock flew the 1,800-pound sailplane 5,000 feet above ground once the glider was released from its tow plane. Total air time for the first flight of the Airbus Perlan 2 Mission — the international aviation giant is sponsoring the project — was about 35 minutes.

“This really fits in with the DNA of Airbus,” said Allan McArtor, the CEO of Airbus Group, the company’s North American business division. “The Perlan Project is about exploration, innovation and pushing the envelope. It’s exploring new boundaries.”

READ FULL ARTICLE >