INSIDE the glider high above the snow-capped Andes of Patagonia, a rush of air blasted from a canister. Einar Enevoldson immediately knew he faced a tough decision.
He was attempting to fly a glider to a record-breaking altitude of 50,000 feet (15,000 metres) and beyond – a feat that most pilots considered impossible. With him in the plane was adventure-seeking billionaire Steve Fossett, who was bankrolling the attempt.
High-pressure air from the canister surged through soft pipes and into Fossett’s orange space suit. It ballooned and stiffened. This wasn’t supposed to happen at their altitude. If the suit inflated further, Fossett would be immobilised for hours. Worse, his suit could block the controls, making it impossible to land the aircraft safely.
And yet, with the southern winter drawing to ...