I was poking around on the Web looking for information about wave
soaring, and I happened to notice that in a few days it'll be the 20th
anniversary of Bob Harris' 17 February 1986 wave flight to 49,009 feet
absolute, with a height gain of some 39,900 feet.

What I remember most about the flight and its aftermath was feeling a
bit dismayed about the reported airspace violations, and how it seemed
to put the sport of soaring in a bad light.

However, these days I'm much more inclined to recognize Harris'
fortitude, dedication, and airmanship. He spent literally years
preparing for the flight, preparing for conditions that probably only
come along every five or twenty years.

Yeah, technically, he bent a rule here and there, and I don't condone
that. But these days I feel a heck of a lot less inclined to be casting
the first stone. If it'd been me up there with almost literally
once-in-a-lifetime conditions, I can't say for sure I'd have done any
different.

So, here's to you, Bob Harris, holder of the sailplane absolute world
altitude record for twenty years. Congratulations!

Thanks, and best regards to all

Bob K.