08 Nov 2012 03:12

Marle with his first bike in Alfred, Maine about 8 years old.

Marle age 3 with first dog "Blackie" (1940) - Alfred, Maine

Lt. Hewett at USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards AFB - class 64B with a T-38

If you can guess who this young man is on the Red Bull Stratos team, then you are truly in tune with the guys who made all the working parts of the mission possible. Let’s rewind the clock to see Marle Hewett’s life as a young aviator.

Marle is a retired Navy Commander. His 20-year military career included service as a decorated pilot and test pilot, head of Flying Qualities and Performance in a flight test division, and chairman of the U.S. Naval Academy’s Aerospace Engineering Department.

Marle knows the risks of flying at high altitudes. While it’s not typical for the human body to tolerate a lack of oxygen, Marle was the exception to the rule as a young Naval aviator. He could keep his wits for 5 minutes in a pressure chamber at 25,000 feet without wearing an oxygen mask. Again, an exceptional physical reaction.

Before any of the Red Bull Stratos manned test flights had begun, useful consciousness was among many of the big medical topics. The amount of time a person can stay alert lacking oxygen varies greatly depending on altitude and personal physical condition, i.e. smoker vs. non-smoker. Marle was clearly in peak condition.

Tags: Red Bull Stratos, Marle Hewett