Re: Is Virgin Galactic for Real?


"Henry Spencer" <henry@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:IspKMz.1Ix@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> In article <11ru39de8lc7rca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
> Pat Flannery <flanner@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >>How many people have summited Everest? Has it lost it's cachet?
> >
> >Yeah? Well those are masochistic madmen, not people.
>
> No, the masochistic madmen are the ones who climb it without oxygen.
> (That is, quite literally, self-inflicted brain damage.)

Hmm, at least one article I've read on this seems to indicate that
supplemental oxygen helps far less than oiriginally thought. Mostly because
people on it tend to prolong time at altitude which increases their brain
damage. But I can't find that one.


>
> The guys who tackle it sensibly are merely masochistic.
>
> >Now, _here's_ how you do Everest.
> >Hire a Russian Mi-26 "Halo" giant helicopter.
> >Equip the cargo bay with an oxygen atmosphere system to deal with the
> >low air pressure at the top of the mountain.
>
> I don't have a spec *** for the Mi-26 handy, but I doubt that it can
> reach the summit. Helicopters, especially big ones, tend to have low
> maximum altitudes, especially in hover. (The helicopter rescue of two
> injured climbers from 20,000ft on the slopes of Everest -- well short of
> the summit -- a decade or so ago was the highest in history, and so
> difficult that it won the pilot several awards for bravery.) The lower
> air density hurts rotor performance badly.

Sorry, but you're a little behind the times.

http://www.everestnews.com/stories2005/everestcopter05272005.htm

A helicopter has landed on the summit.

So, does that count for my 3rd t-shirt?

> --
> spsystems.net is temporarily off the air; | Henry Spencer
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