Summary

Abstract

Where do I begin to summarize the history of mankind’s desire to fly to the heavens, let alone its actual 230 year flight history? I must, of course, limit this to high altitude flights; or attempts to fly into the stratosphere. It is clear that the desire goes back to early man, from ancient myths and legends through the modern pioneers, the aviators during the World Wars, and the experimental and reconnaissance pilots of the Cold War era. Even as this book was being written, new records of stratospheric flights were achieved. To this day, there are routine, experimental and scientific missions into the stratosphere.