Sailplane That Soared Higher Than the U-2 Flies at Oshkosh

Perlan 2, the record-setting, high-altitude glider, performed its first flight demo on Tuesday.

Wednesday, July 27, 2022 at 08:36 AM ET

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The pressurized, high-altitude Perlan 2 sailplane performed a short flight Tuesday at EAA’s AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. [Photo: Thom Patterson]

Key Takeaways:

Perlan 2, the record-setting high-altitude glider, performed its first flight demonstration at EAA AirVenture, towed by a Grob Egrett turboprop.
The glider previously set a world record in 2018 for the highest crewed wing-borne subsonic flight at 76,124 feet.
Plans are underway for Perlan 2 to attempt to reach its 90,000-foot service ceiling in Argentina in 2023, aiming for a new world altitude record and conducting scientific research on the upper atmosphere.

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Perlan 2, the record-setting, pressurized high-altitude glider, performed its first flight demonstration at EAA AirVenture Tuesday, with help from the flight test team’s unique Grob Egrett turboprop.

During previous visits to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Perlan 2 was featured in the static display, but this year, chief pilot Jim Payne and chief engineer Morgan Sandercock finally took the opportunity to showcase the flight characteristics of this unique sailplane.