Frst Solo, Non-stop Round the World Airplane Flight

[Larry Dighera]

Keep your fingers crossed:

http://www.fossettchallenge.com/
Fossett takes to the skies on the first solo, non-stop round the
world airplane flight

18:45 Central Standard Time, 28 February 2005 - Salina, Kansas,
USA: At around 6:45 pm local time this evening (00:45 GMT, 1
March) record-setting pilot Steve Fossett (USA, b. 1944) powered
down the 12,000' runway here at Salina Municipal Airport and took
off - targeting the first ever solo, non-stop round the world
airplane flight. ...

----------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.virginatlanticglobalflyer.com/
Mission Status: 15:07UTC at Mission Control. Elapsed Journey time:
14 hours 20 minutes. Distance covered approximately 44,00 nautical
miles.

Steve is now flying at 44,866ft, and still climbing as he has
permission to go to 47,000 ft. Now in Moroccan airspace he expects
to intercept with the chase plane very shortly. In his last call
with the press he said, 'At this time everything is going very
well, I'm very happy with the stiuation [sic] and I think we've
got a good chance.'

Steve is currently traveling at 340 knots/ 390 mph (ground speed).
...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/02/28/tech/main676862.shtml
Around The World In 66 Hours
...
He will be powered by a single jet engine, 18,000 pounds of fuel
and diet milkshakes.
...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------


http://www.guardian.co.uk/globalflyer/story/0,14532,1427755,00.html
Round-the-world record bid under way

Jane Perrone
Tuesday March 1, 2005


GlobalFlyer, piloted by Steve Fossett, takes off. Photo: David
Eulitt/AP

Millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett's GlobalFlyer plane took off
into the clear Kansas skies today, setting in motion a world
record bid described by his backer and friend Sir Richard Branson
as the last great aviation record - flying nonstop and solo around
the world.

GlobalFlyer's 19,863 nautical mile, 285mph white knuckle ride
began at an airfield in the city of Salina, Kansas as Fossett
folded himself into his 7ft cockpit - home for the next 80 hours -
at 6.30pm local time (0030GMT).

He spent 15 minutes making last-minute checks before the
fragile-looking aircraft powered along the 12,300ft runway,
accelerating to a speed of 140mph before lifting off at exactly
6.47pm and 10 seconds in front of the assembled press corps and an
estimated 8,000 onlookers.
...

[Jay Honeck]

> Keep your fingers crossed:
>
> http://www.fossettchallenge.com/
> Fossett takes to the skies on the first solo, non-stop round the
> world airplane flight

Humbug. Although he may set a distance record, Fossett is most assuredly
NOT flying "around the world."

The world is a sphere, not a dome.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Icebound]

"Jay Honeck" > wrote in message
news:ETjVd.82778$tl3.5372@attbi_s02...
>> Keep your fingers crossed:
>>
>> http://www.fossettchallenge.com/
>> Fossett takes to the skies on the first solo, non-stop round the
>> world airplane flight
>
> Humbug. Although he may set a distance record, Fossett is most assuredly
> NOT flying "around the world."
>
> The world is a sphere, not a dome.

True. But there ARE rules that define "around the world" for such things:

To qualify for recognition by the FAI, the route must "cross all meridians,
and be at least 36,787.559 kilometres (around 23,000 miles) which is equal
in length to the Tropic of Cancer."

http://www.virginatlanticglobalflyer.com/Aircraft/RecordAttempt/index.jsp

[Dan Luke]

"Larry Dighera" wrote:
>
> Keep your fingers crossed:
>

I'm trying to keep from yawning.
--
Dan
C-172RG at BFM

[Larry Dighera]

On Wed, 2 Mar 2005 12:34:07 -0600, "Dan Luke" > wrote
in >::

>
>"Larry Dighera" wrote:
>>
>> Keep your fingers crossed:
>>
>
>I'm trying to keep from yawning.


I'll bet Steve is wide awake despite being 43 hours and 16 minutes
into the solo flight: http://www.virginatlanticglobalflyer.com/

It appears that he lost 2,600 pounds of fuel, and is unsure if he can
make it beyond Hawaii.

Aren't you on the edge of your seat to know if he's going to
successfully complete the round the world flight? I'll bet Mr. Rutan
is.

[Jay Honeck]

>>I'm trying to keep from yawning.
>
> Aren't you on the edge of your seat to know if he's going to
> successfully complete the round the world flight? I'll bet Mr. Rutan
> is.

From what I've read, that plane could complete the trip with or without Mr
Fossett. Heck, he might even get to sleep on the flight.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Larry Dighera]

On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 00:00:01 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
> wrote in
<5ssVd.85512$4q6.62957@attbi_s01>::

>From what I've read, that plane could complete the trip with or without Mr
>Fossett.

Is that plane able to accomplish that without the requisite fuel?

[Larry Dighera]

There's nothing like the feeling of success and accomplishment:

http://www.virginatlanticglobalflyer.com/News/Landing.jsp
Mission Status: 19:48:56UTC - 13:48:56 local time - Steve has
just touched down at Salina after successfully completing the
fastest, non-stop, non-refuelled flight around the world.

This warm and bright day in Salina, Kansas will go down in history
as the day that Steve Fossett set a great aviation world record
for speed around the world solo, non-stop and non-refueled.

After 67 hours and 1 minute of grueling sleep deprivation and 12
unappealing diet milkshakes, Steve finally touched down in front
of an excited crowd of public and press at Salina Municipal
Airport at 19:48:56UTC, despite having some very worrying problems
earlier in the flight.

At the start of ...