Inyokern Airport Album

The Inyokern Connection
to the
World Sailplane Altitude Records

by Bertha Ryan

Bob Harris' sailplane at Inyokern Airport after landing from his record flight on February 17, 1986.

Photo by Bob Harris

It was a breezy afternoon at InyokernAirport on February 17, 1986 when Bob Harris landed his Grob 102 sailplane after a flight to 49,009 feet a few miles north of Inyokern. He had taken off from California City with a plan to break the 25-year-old sailplane altitude record made by Paul Bikle to 46,267 feet over Jaw Bone Canyon, just south of Red Rock Canyon.

Paul Bikle felt he flew to the limit of safe flight using only a pressure demand oxygen system. Bob Harris went a little higher. Soaring flights beyond these altitudes require either a pressurized sailplane or a pressure suit.

Steve Fossett, an adventurous, sportsman multi-millionaire has dedicated himself to setting records in many fields of endeavor. He is best known for his solo balloon flight around the world in 2002. A few years ago he was introduced to and fell in love with the sport of soaring. Thus, it was only natural that he would seek a record in this activity – but not just any record – he wants to soar to 100,000 feet. This feat should be possible in a special type of meteorological condition known as the stratospheric mountain wave. This phenomenon is most likely to exist near the poles in the winter. Thus, Mr. Fossett’s main attempts have been in New Zealand during their winter.

Strong westerly winds blow dust from the floor of the Owens Valley. This classic photo was taken March 5, 1950, by Bob Symons from slightly north of Bishop at about 30,000 feet looking south toward Inyokern. He was flying his P-38 in a mountain wave with the propellers feathered.

Colorization by Mary Dixon

Not one to let seasons daunt him, Steve Fossett is making record attempts during the Northern Hemisphere season, mostly soaring out of California City and flying north to this area to seek the strongest part of the famous Sierra Wave. His initial flights are in a DG-505 sailplane, modified for increased safety at the altitudes he hopes to obtain. This sailplane is capable of reaching only about 62,000 feet for aerodynamic reasons. Thus, Mr. Fossett is arranging for a specially designed and one of a kind sailplane, aerodynamically capable of flight to 100,000 feet when favorable meteorological conditions exist.

NASA is interested in knowing more about this meteorological phenomenon that has affected aircraft flying at very high altitudes so they have loaned some surplus pressure suits to Mr. Fossett. Another safety device that will be very valuable to the program is Einar Enevoldson. Einar is a long time soaring pilot, a former Air Force pilot, a former NASA test pilot and has considerable high altitude flight experience including flying the Strato 2C, the high flying propeller driven aircraft designed to carry two pilots, two scientists and a 2000 pound scientific payload to 80,000 feet. He will be flying with Mr. Fossett.

Steve Fossett (left) and Einar Enevoldson in full pressure suites at Omarama, New Zealand, July 2002.
Photo courtesy of
http://www.firnspiegel.com/perlan/

On April 12, Steve and Einar made a flight that resulted in a landing at Inyokern due to weak wave conditions. The highest altitude reached in this area in these current attempts up to this time (May 7, 2003) is 42,100 feet slightly north of Inyokern on April 24, 2003.

When Steve Fossett achieves record altitude, you can be sure you will hear about it in the news. For further details, the following web sites are useful (the first one with emphasis on the meteorology, the second with emphasis on the records):

http://www.firnspiegel.com/perlan