Zeroing In
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, JULY 3, 2002, 2:00 a.m. CDT (JULY 3, 2002, 07:00 UTC) It has been 14 days and 4 hours since liftoff, and Steve Fossett is cruising across Australia seeking a landing point to end his record-breaking adventure. High wind speeds have precluded the possibility of landing the Bud Light Spirit of Freedom at sunset Australian time (early morning UTC) as originally planned. Fossett plans to wait until sunrise (late evening UTC) when wind conditions are typically calmer. He has been decreasing altitude in order to reduce speed, and his resulting trajectory should put him near Birdsville or Windorah for the eventual touchdown. Bud Light Spirit of Freedom is flying at 20,000 feet (6,096 meters) at 73 miles per hour (117 km per hour). At 31 degrees south and 134 degrees east, Bud Light Spirit of Freedom has a heading of 64 degrees and has traveled 20,552 miles (33,075 km).
.......Westy.....