The Aeronauts

[aviatoreb]

Cool film about Balloons-people in the 1862.  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0812BNFD4/?ref=dvm_us_dl_sl_go_ast_19AERO|c_407237039160_m_gjFQA4ej-dc_s__&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-pGjsfHg5gIVEfDACh0XzQkJEAAYASAAEgLCzfD_BwE

https://time.com/5746565/the-aeronauts-movie-true-story/

and they were called aeronauts.

The thing that just stuns me is...this is in part based on a real Balloon ascent of the time, to break (smash!) the altitude record.  They got up to 36,000 ft.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Aeronauts_(film)

 British aeronauts James Glaisher and Henry Coxwell got to 36,000 ft!  One of them passed out as they crossed 30,000 ft - so goes the story.  But the other stayed enough conscious to begin the descent.

This just doesn't seem possible that they could go that high and not die.  No supplemental O2.  Huh?!  Is anyone here a flight surgeon?

 

[Scott Dennstaedt, PhD]

20 minutes ago, aviatoreb said:

 

This just doesn't seem possible that they could go that high and not die.  No supplemental O2.  Huh?!  Is anyone here a flight surgeon?

 

Yes, watched that last night.  It was fairly interesting, but lost interest pretty quick.  The balloon pilot, Amelia Wren, was fictional.   Not sure why they couldn't have made it more true to the actual events, but that's Hollywood, I guess.  I am familiar with James Glaisher.  His primary goals/accomplishments in meteorology was in the measurement and study of the dewpoint.     

[aviatoreb]

51 minutes ago, Scott Dennstaedt said:

Yes, watched that last night.  It was fairly interesting, but lost interest pretty quick.  The balloon pilot, Amelia Wren, was fictional.   Not sure why they couldn't have made it more true to the actual events, but that's Hollywood, I guess.  I am familiar with James Glaisher.  His primary goals/accomplishments in meteorology was in the measurement and study of the dewpoint.     

Surely it was for the crisis and audience appeal of a pretty lady.  I would have preferred two crusty old Royal Society of Science blokes myself.  But still - my son and I found it to be a fun movie.

So Scott, how the heck did that one fellow in real life stay conscious enough up to 36,000 ft to activate the descend mechanism of his balloon?!

[bonal]

We watched this and found it to be very entertaining and nicely done. Historical and technical accuracy not important even though there was some historical reference. It was fun to watch and we really enjoyed the sets and depiction of the period.  Definitely wondered when they were going to pass out from lack of oxygen.

[aviatoreb]

12 minutes ago, bonal said:

We watched this and found it to be very entertaining and nicely done. Historical and technical accuracy not important even though there was some historical reference. It was fun to watch and we really enjoyed the sets and depiction of the period.  Definitely wondered when they were going to pass out from lack of oxygen.

I heard on the NPR radio they interviewed a technical consultant of the movie, who was both a balloonist and a historically trained person. He said that most of the crisis they had in the movie did actually happen to people, but not all in any one flight to anyone.  This was sort of a menagerie of all the bad things that happened to lots of people all rolled into the one movie flight.

[Scott Dennstaedt, PhD]

2 hours ago, aviatoreb said:

So Scott, how the heck did that one fellow in real life stay conscious enough up to 36,000 ft to activate the descend mechanism of his balloon?!

Hell if I know.  The FAA recommends that we use oxygen above 5,000 feet at night to improve vision.  At 18,000 feet, the amount of oxygen available is literally 1/2 of what we'd get at sea level.  They were double that height.    

[whiskytango]

For anyone who survives an ascent to 36,000 feet MSL with no O2 would there be permanent brain damage?  I remember reading a novel (Steven King?) about passengers on an airline flight that has a sustained loss of cabin pressure at high altitude, with no supplemental O2.  The passengers all experience brain damage and go berserk. 

 

[Hank]

15 minutes ago, whiskytango said:

For anyone who survives an ascent to 36,000 feet MSL with no O2 would there be permanent brain damage?  I remember reading a novel (Steven King?) about passengers on an airline flight that has a sustained loss of cabin pressure at high altitude, with no supplemental O2.  The passengers all experience brain damage and go berserk. 

 

That was fiction. And we all know that truth is stranger than fiction, because fiction has to make sense.      

[aviatoreb]

18 minutes ago, Hank said:

That was fiction. And we all know that truth is stranger than fiction, because fiction has to make sense.      

The real people in real history in the balloon in 1862 supposedly went to 36,000 and one of them remained conscious... supposedly.

there have existed people who have climbed Everest to 29.000 ft.  And that’s much harder as it’s physical. Which amazes me.   Like running without o2.  I have hiked to 14,500... and it was a lot more physically difficult than hiking at sea level.

no kidding I was in boulder 3 years ago and my Uber driver was a napalese sherpa and he said he guided a trip summit over Everest without supplemental 02.

 

Edited January 1, 2020 by aviatoreb

[Guitarmaster]

It was a good brain candy movie.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[carusoam]

Going without oxygen can kill off brain cells at a high rate.

having oxygen be very limited can be challenging... it is hard to be functional while unconscious.

By the time the brain is being affected long term... the heart muscles are equally being starved...

Probably enough discomfort to want to start descending in a controlled fashion...

 

If descending in control is important... the pilot would really want to keep an eye on the fuel level to make sure the descent is controlled...

whatever ‘fuels’ the ascent/descent control...?

Now to see if my amazon level allows me to watch the goofy made up movie...  

Best regards,

-a-

[Greg Ellis]

I cannot understand how these folks got to 36,000 feet without oxygen.  Much like the days of early aviation and the brave and/or crazy mail pilots that flew open cockpit in the winter well in the teens and flight levels without oxygen.

I drove up Pike's Peak which tops a little over 14,000 and I had to immediately come back down because I got an incredible headache and just could not handle it.  And I was not about to buy one of their cans of Oxygen they sell for an exorbitant amount of money.  

[steingar]

I can see it. Remember, folks back then were smaller, lean, and with luck nonsmokers.  I hiked at altitudes in the mid teens year ago and had no issues whatsoever.  My nephew hikes huge peaks in Central and South America, and these are third world trails.  They don't bother with things like switchbacks.  Heck, all the balloonists had to do was stay conscious enough to pull a rope.

And I thought the movie was really good, especially for a TV movie.  What I liked about the fictional lady character was they were able to contrast the very serious scientific nature of the activity with the  sensational, which went right along with it.

[Urs_Wildermuth]

I wonder if they really were that high. How did they measure altitude in those days? Was that accurate? Wikipedia sais, the altitudes were estimates. It also states that the crew passed out at 29000 ft estimated and the balloon ascended more, but it doesn't say how it got back down again. Lucky does not come close for a guy like that to live to the ripe age of 91...

In later ascents, people like Auguste Piccard used a pressurized cabin.

In any event, the input into Meteorology coming from these ascents were totally groundbreaking.

 

[gsxrpilot]

Here is an example of a human at 32,634 feet without O2. It's an interesting and quite shocking story.  Very much like the story of our own Dan Bass. Ewa Wisnierska - Paraglider Pilot

https://www.directexpose.com/paraglider-ewa-wisnierska-storm/

I've flown hang gliders from that same launch point in Australia, although never around big cumulous like that!

[Guitarmaster]

Here is an example of a human at 32,634 feet without O2. It's an interesting and quite shocking story.  Very much like the story of our own Dan Bass. Ewa Wisnierska - Paraglider Pilot
https://www.directexpose.com/paraglider-ewa-wisnierska-storm/
I've flown hang gliders from that same launch point in Australia, although never around big cumulous like that!

That's quite the story!

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[aviatoreb]

51 minutes ago, gsxrpilot said:

Here is an example of a human at 32,634 feet without O2. It's an interesting and quite shocking story.  Very much like the story of our own Dan Bass. Ewa Wisnierska - Paraglider Pilot

https://www.directexpose.com/paraglider-ewa-wisnierska-storm/

I've flown hang gliders from that same launch point in Australia, although never around big cumulous like that!

Holy MOLY!

[M20F]

On 12/31/2019 at 5:05 PM, aviatoreb said:

This just doesn't seem possible that they could go that high and not die.  No supplemental O2.  Huh?!  Is anyone here a flight surgeon?

 

People climb Mt Everest which is almost 30K feet with no oxygen.  Certainly I think a bit more strenuous then floating to 36K in a ballon. 

[aviatoreb]

1 minute ago, M20F said:

People climb Mt Everest which is almost 30K feet with no oxygen.  Certainly I think a bit more strenuous then floating to 36K in a ballon. 

Right - I know.  I mentioned above in fact that I had an Uber driver in Boulder, CO who is a Napaleese Sherpa who climbed Everest without O2.  Most people cannot do that even if in tip-top athletic form - it takes some special-lucky genetics to pull that trick off and top fitness.  36,000 ft is higher than 30,000 so I remain amazed.

I have hiked multiple times to 14,500 and I will tell you that yikes - the air is thin up there for trying to hike up steep hills even if in good shape. And that's only 14.5.

[M20F]

1 minute ago, aviatoreb said:

Most people cannot do that even if in tip-top athletic form - it takes some special-lucky genetics to pull that trick off and top fitness.

I spend a lot of time at 11000-12000 and smoke the whole trip.

[aviatoreb]

44 minutes ago, M20F said:

I spend a lot of time at 11000-12000 and smoke the whole trip.

Really?

[Hank]

A truly incredible story! Reminded me of this unfortunate soul:

https://www.businessinsider.com/the-survival-story-of-the-only-known-person-to-parachute-through-a-thunderstorm-2013-1

I've only done a little hiking above 10K, and years ago. But living at 280' msl, it was quite difficult to breathe. My brother had a trail guide for Yellowstone, and we chose the shortest, steepest trail . . . It started on the road to the East Entrance and went up 2000+ feet in just under 3 miles. We first went above the treeline, then above the dirt line. Walking along bare, red rocks, downhill in all directions, loose footing, it was a simple game of walk a few steps then pause for a few deep breaths. And I was still an avid bicycle rider then! Can't imagine what it would be like now. But coming back down the car was quite easy!

Ya'll be careful out there! Big storms are no fun in small planes, and as these people found out, they are even less fun to be inside of without a small plane.

[M20F]

2 hours ago, aviatoreb said:

Really?

Like a chimney.  

[aviatoreb]

1 hour ago, M20F said:

Like a chimney.  

Well my airplane came with ash trays when I got it.  They were put there for a reason.

E

[Oldguy]

Working in La Paz for a week like to killed me when I lived in Houston - from 40' MSL to 13,300' MSL at the airport and then you drop all the way down to only 9,600' or so where we worked. And I was amazed at the people who were smoking at that altitude. My first day there was usually highlighted by a roaring headache from lack of oxygen. But after a couple of weeks there and at our gold mine up at 13,500', mowing 5 acres with a push mower when I got home didn't even break a sweat.