The Perlan II glider reached its own best altitude of 32,500 feet this week as the team plans to soar well past the existing sailplane record of 50,727 feet, set by Einar Enevoldson and Steve Fossett in Perlan 1 in 2006. To get the pressured, two-seat glider to the target altitude of 90,000 feet, Perlan Project CEO Ed Warnock has taken his team to El Calafate, Argentina, where a strong jet stream near the south pole combines with the massive terrain of the Andes to create the world’s strongest mountain waves.
Source: avwebPerlan Sails Toward Altitude Record