Paul Bikle's Record Altitude Sailplane Flight

On a cold and windy February afternoon 50 years ago, the late Paul Bikle, then director of NASA's Flight Research Center, soared into the stratosphere with one goal in mind - a world altitude record for unpowered sailplanes. Less than two hours later, Bikle and his Schweizer 1-23E sailplane had reached an altitude of 46,267 feet - a remarkable record that would stand for 25 years. (Movie duration 2:07 min)

   Last Modified: March 10, 2011
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