steve fossett

Steve Fossett Missing

I've followed the adventures of Steve Fossett for several years now so I was sad to hear that the millionaire aviator has gone missing in the mountains of Nevada. Fossett has set records for circumnavigating the world by by balloon and airplane. On Monday he took off from a private airstrip in Nevada in a single-engine Bellanca plane, apparently on the lookout for desert locations for a planned attempt at the land-speed record.

Rescue planes have been scouring the area but have been hampered by the fact that he did not file a flight plan. Fossett's friend and partner in global adventures, Richard Branson released a statement saying he was confident that Fossett would be found alive. Fossett has survived a number of crash landings and is also an athlete who has swum the English Channel, raced in the Ironman Triathlon and completed the grueling Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across Alaska.

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Tags: adventurer, expire-images:2008-9-4, millionaire, plane, richard branson, RichardBranson, steve fossett, SteveFossett

Global Flyer Lands, Breaks Record

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

Steve Fossett has touched down at Bournemouth Airport putting a successful end to the Ultimate Flight. Fossett, who broke the world record for the longest flight ever at 26.389.3 miles and a duration of 76 hours and 45 minutes. Fossett was supposed to land at Kent International Airport, but had to make an emergency landing when his generator failed. It was a rough landing, two tires burst and his windscreen was iced up but he is now on land and in need of a nap.

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Tags: air, flight, global flyer, GlobalFlyer, richard branson, steve fossett, virgin, wings, world record

The Global Flyer Takes Off

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

Although it was predicted that it might be a few days delayed, the Global Flyer took off this morning after all. Steve Fossett left NASA Kennedy Space Center at 7:22am and is currently zooming around the world. He has spent the day flying over the Atlantic and is currently approaching the African Coast. The takeoff was a bit bumpy as it took the aircraft a while to lift off and two birds hit the aircraft. All seems to be going well currently but weather patterns could cause a bit of a concern.

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Tags: flight, global flyer, GlobalFlyer, steve fossett, virgin, wings, world record

Global Flyer Flight Delayed Again

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

Another delay has hit Steve Fossett's quest for the Ultimate Flight. The take off which was scheduled for today, has been canceled due to a fuel leak. According to the Global Flyer website the leak is a "fairly simple thing to fix but it will take around 24 hours because it requires fuel sealant material." Weather conditions should hold for the rest of the week and the mission is listed at code Yellow through February 11.

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Tags: global flyer, GlobalFlyer, richard branson, steve fossett, virgin atlantic

Global Flyer's Next Flight Confirmed

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

The GlobalFlyer is set to go again on the new mission to set a record for the longest non-stop flight of an airplane. The plane should take off from Kennedy Space Center tomorrow morning. The GlobalFlyer team has been given a code green status meaning weather conditions are expected to be good to go. The flight should launch tomorrow morning at 6:42 am. I wonder if Branson is lending Steve Fossett his Breitling for this flight too.

[via Aero-News Network]

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Tags: airplane, longest flight, LongestFlight, plane, richard branson, steve fossett, virgin, world record, world's record

The Global Flyer's Next Challenge

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wings

The Global Flyer will ride again. General Aviation News reports that Steve Fossett will fly the Global Flyer again. This time he plans to set a record for the longest non-stop flight of an airplane. He will take off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center and then fly around the world and then across the Atlantic a second time. Unfortunately, the Global Flyer recently was damaged during refueling. The wing tip struck the fuel tank truck and there is damage to the wing, necessitating a repair. The "Ultimate Flight" was expected to take place in February but may get pushed back.

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Tags: flight, flight record, global flyer, GlobalFlyer, plane, steve fossett, virgin atlantic