Fossett Readies for Nonstop Solo Flight

Associated Press ^ | 2/28/05 | JOHN MILBURN

[anymouse]

SALINA, Kan. - Millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett was the first person to circle the globe solo in a hot-air balloon. Now, he wants to make the trip in a single-engine airplane without stopping — another aviation first.

Fossett, 60, hoped to take off in his GlobalFlyer on Monday afternoon at Salina Municipal Airport and land there again about 66 hours later. The 23,000-mile flight had already been postponed several times because of shifting jet stream patterns or weather at Salina.

"I'm a bit nervous about takeoff," said Fossett, who has logged about 30 hours in the jet-powered aircraft. "I will be the ultimate test pilot. I have a lot to worry about. It's a major endeavor."

Financed by Virgin Atlantic founder Sir Richard Branson, it would be the first solo flight around the world without stopping to refuel.

Aviation pioneer Wiley Post made the first solo around-the-world trip in 1933, taking more than seven days and stopping numerous times along the way. The first nonstop global flight without refueling by a duo was made in 1986 by Jeana Yeager and Dick Rutan, brother of Burt Rutan, designer of the GlobalFlyer.a

Besides the nonstop record, Fossett will attempt to break seven other aviation records, including the longest flight by a jet aircraft. The current record is more than 12,000 miles, set by a B-52 bomber in 1962.

Mission control director Kevin Stass said Fossett would fly over Chicago, Detroit and Canada before heading across the Atlantic late Monday night. The route would then take him over Africa, the Middle East, India, China and the Pacific Ocean.

Stass said many countries had opened up their airspace for the record attempt, including Libya and China, that refused to do so during Fossett's ballooning attempts.

Fossett planned to fly at an average speed of 287.5 mph and rely on the jet stream to stretch his 18,000 pounds of fuel. The GlobalFlyer will have about 15 percent extra fuel to allow for weather conditions or other changes to the flight plan, said Jon Karkow, chief engineer for the flight.

There was a risk the fuel could freeze from flying in the cold at altitudes of 52,000 feet for such a long time.

Fossett will survive on diet milkshakes. "I just picked a bunch of flavors off the shelf at the store," he said.

Branson planned to follow Fossett in a chase plane for the first day of the flight and on the last leg. He gave Fossett his wristwatch, complete with emergency beacon device, to wear for the flight.

"We want you and (the watch) back in one piece at the end," Branson quipped.

Fossett became the first to fly a hot air balloon solo around the world in 2002 after nearly dying twice in six attempts to set the record. He has also tried to break the world gliding altitude record for the past four years in New Zealand but has failed because of poor conditions.

On the Net:

GlobalFlyer: http://www.virginatlanticglobalflyer.com

[bootless]

He appears to be energetic and willful.

Very true - and attitude is SO important (the mental kind, not just the kind with the blue on the top, and brown on the bottom).

[Mercat]

WOW,
Jerry and Jackson and I had quite a day driving out to Salina to see the
lift off of the Global Flyer.
We arrived at the Salina Airfield around 3:30 and because of the wind we
spent most of the next 3 1/2 hours in the van listening to local radio
broadcasts about the event.

Also we were glad to stay out of the bitter cold north wind. It was amazing
to see how many people ere not properly dressed for the conditions. The
wind chill was about 25F.
That wind was gusting above 20 and threatened to prevent the Global Flyer
from taking off as it might cause the overloaded airplane to stumble.

Finally the time came and we piled out of our vehicles and raced to the edge
of the viewing area and peered into the gloom since it was now 1/2 hr after
sunset. The chase airplane - a carbon fiber Beechcraft Starship lifted off
first and then came the Flyer. It raced as a low and sleek siloutte against
the twilight and swoshed almost silently past us, wingtips angled up to the
sky as if trying to pull the heavy plastic airplane into the dark sky. The
crowd of 20,000 to 30,000 let out a cheer and raced back to start their
vehicles and thread out of the airfield in a monsterous traffic jam.
We ate a late dinner at the Abiline Sonic and got home just before 11PM.

So I spent about 10 hours and drove 400 miles to see a little airpane fly
the first 30 seconds of a 3 day circumnavigation. Was it worth it? Those
30 seconds were thrilling indeed and probably the next time I see that
airpane it will be in the Smithsonian Institution Air Museum.

Mission Status: 12:31UTC at Mission Control. Elapsed Journey time: 11 hours
45 minutes. Distance covered approximately 3,564 nautical miles.

Steve is now at 44,100ft, flying over the Atlantic Ocean and should approach
the African coastline in an hour and a half. He is now in daylight. In his
last communication with Mission Control he reports everything is working
okay although he has experienced some light turbulence.

Steve is currently traveling at 350 knots/ 402.5 mph (ground speed).

He is in Santa Maria airspace and then head towards North Africa
(Casablanca) via Porto Santo (Madiera). Which will be Portuguese domestic
airspace.

http://www.virginatlanticglobalflyer.com/

Fred

[19th LA Inf]

The first so-called around-world solo nonstop attempt, that I know of, was by Jim Bede in 1967. He had modified a Schweizer 2-32 sailplane with a piston engine and wet wings and claimed it was capable of nonstop around the world. The numbers clearly showed this wasn't possible unless it was done on the Arctic Circle or with a marvelous tailwind.

The takeoff at Cleveland was almost comic. The ship ran on a big tricycle dolly. Bede rotated way too soon and the wings began to flap like a big buzzard struggling to take off. At the last possible second it broke ground, the dolly cut loose and apparently did some damage to the airplane. Bede flew as far as Long Island, got a good look at the cold water, and called it a day.

Later he did set some closed course records out in California.

This new aircraft of Rutan's is as much advanced over Bede's as Bede was over Lindbergh, IMOH. Still, it is a terrific challenge for any pilot as much as it was back in their day.