Perlan Mission I was designed to prove Enevoldson’s thesis by actually flying into and climbing these stratospheric mountain waves. In 2005, the sailplane was shipped to El Calafate, Argentina, a small town at 50° south latitude. Five attempts in a three-week period, none in favorable weather conditions, were unsuccessful. In 2006, the forecast offered very favorable conditions on August 28 but at 33,000 feet, in a strong climb, Steve Fossett's pressure suit inflated prematurely and excessively, and the flight was aborted. The next day, on August 29, after one of the pressure suit regulators had been changed, the weather conditions were still favorable, the team made another attempt. After a four-hour climb, Enevoldson and Fossett reached the record altitude of 50,671 feet (15,460m), validating the concept.