Hypothetical question. 30,000 feet high, jump off a mountain with a hanglider.

[Quick6'n'-K.C.]

Lets just say we got into a lil debate the other day at work about climbing Mt. Everest.
Guys were talking about people climbing the mountain with frost bite, and i laughingly said to just use a hanglider and get the heck off the mountain.

So, they tell me that if anyone was able to find a cliff that was 29,999 feet tall and use a hang glider then it wouldnt work because the air was too THIN up there. Same principle as why a helicopter cant climb that high.

My response was, that there was no way to defy laws of physics and the glider wont drop like a hammer in the sky. Not like i ever thought about it before, or even cared to climb the mountain.

The helicopter was a debate i really didnt want to get into since it wasnt my theory on thin air and why helicopters crash LOL

What do you think and why?

BW

 

[Pablo]

Well, assuming the hanglider pilot had oxygen, and cold weather equipment, it is theoretically possible to launch a hang glider from that altitude. A quick google search reveals that hang glider flights over 18,000 feet have been recorded. The laws of flight dont change just because its a hang glider. There are also several different kinds of hang gliders beyond the traditional one you are probably thinking of. The U2 spy plane can fly at 90,000 feet and is darn near a glider.

The comparison to the helicopter is kind of apples to oranges. The hang glider is not climbing to 30,000 feet, its gliding down from 30,000 feet. A helicopter could theoretically do the same thing, without power even. In fact, may 2005 a Eurocopter AS 350 B3 helicopter managed to fly up to the summit of Mt everest and then take off making it the highest helicopter take-off on record.

The major thing this glider pilot would have to think about is the change in glide slope he will encounter at the beginning of his flight vs the end of his flight.

The higher he is the quicker he will fall for the distance he travels. Glide slope is expressed as units traveled forward over units traveled downward. Its all about wing loading and aerodynamic drag .

Youd also have to take into account any crazy turbulence caused by the mountain and surrounding area

 

[Tin Man]

It has been done. Here is a link

Everest - Mount Everest by climbers, news

I would like to attempt to climb everest but don't think I will ever be able to afford it. It costs a minimum of $65,000 to climb. $25,000 is for a permit from the government of Nepal.

 

[darkred87T]

Here's antother link. it lists stats about Mt. Everest. See "fastest decent" about half way down:

Mt Everest History and facts

 

[Quick6'n'-K.C.]

Damn, guess i had my thinking cap on that day!


Thank you for the links guys, they see to be somewhat tranquil and relaxing looking at those videos and pictures

Kinda makes me want to sit back and enjoy.

BW

 

[turbo buicks]

if airplanes fly at 30K feet usually when cruising why would a hang glider not work?

 

[turbo buicks]

actually i have had a sweet idea. just do squats and stuff and get your legs real strong then jump out a plane w/o a chute and when u land just absorb the impact by bending ur knees. my other idea was to do tons of bench press and flys and then run minimal blood, organs and bodyweight and graft feathers ont yourself then fly. pretty easy IMO

 

[Quick6'n'-K.C.]

Been there done that have the t-shirt, got if free at tbs.com :wink:

So are which one are you really, you never have put your name in your sig.

And everytime i call you mike you never respond

BW