Faster than the speed of sound……………..

Last week an Austrian broke the speed of sound. Baumgartner, 43, set the new record for the world’s highest skydive when he jumped from an altitude of 128,097 feet (39,044 meters) — the equivalent of just over 24 miles (39 kilometers) —and broke the sound barrier during his long descent back to Earth. The daring supersonic jump caught the eye of professional astronauts, even if Baumgartner did not leap from the official edge of space 62 miles (100 km) up.

This is an opportunity for every instructor or student to learn about density altitude and how it relates to true airspeed.  How did Felix reach the speed of sound? Why wasn’t he ripped asunder?

Any takers?