{"id":11903,"date":"2018-09-21T14:31:11","date_gmt":"2018-09-21T21:31:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?p=11903"},"modified":"2018-09-21T14:31:11","modified_gmt":"2018-09-21T21:31:11","slug":"jetstream-cargo-gliders-colorado-to-china-in-three-days","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/jetstream-cargo-gliders-colorado-to-china-in-three-days\/","title":{"rendered":"Jetstream Cargo Gliders \u2013 Colorado to China in Three Days"},"content":{"rendered":"

Just as Richard Starke was explaining to Experimental Soaring Association<\/a> attendees at this year\u2019s Western Workshop how his proposed stratospheric cargo glider program would work, some multi-tasker checking his tablet shouted, \u201cPerlan\u2019s reached 76,000 feet!\u201d<\/p>\n

Richard\u2019s concept of launching cargo gliders that would ride the jet stream between continents was suddenly validated before an audience that a few minutes before might have been dazzled and even skeptical of his proposal.\u00a0 Perlan\u2019s tows behind the recently recruited Grob Egret turboprop towplane<\/a> made 10,000 feet in 10 minutes a time-to-climb reality, and tows to 40,000 feet allowed rapid exploration of developing air masses over the Patagonian mountains.<\/p>\n