NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Former Dryden pilot Einar Enevoldson spoke at two colloquium sessions at Dryden on Feb. 25. He discussed former Center Director Paul Bikle's record glider altitude flight as well as his own role in the Perlan 2006 sailplane altitude record set in Argentina. Enevoldson is currently part of an effort to reach 90,000 feet altitude with a new aircraft, also called Perlan. A mockup of the new Perlan aircraft is at right. (NASA Photo / Tony Landis
› View Larger Image Former Dryden pilot Einar Enevoldson participated in two colloquium sessions Feb. 25.

The morning session marked the 50th anniversary of former Dryden Center Director Paul Bikle's 1961 altitude record. John and Hugh Bikle, sons of the late center director, joined Enevoldson in discussions about the record soaring flight.

Later, Enevoldson discussed "Perlan: The Past and Future of Sailplane High-Altitude Flight."

Enevoldson co-piloted the first stratospheric flight of a sailplane, which the late Steve Fossett piloted. That 2006 flight set a sailplane record altitude of 50,671 feet.

Enevoldson also discussed a new effort by the Perlan Project, the group that supported the previous Perlan flight, which plans to launch a new Perlan sailplane to 90,000 feet in July 2012.