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 News from Around the Americas | March 2005 
Fossett Sets Solo Flight Record
 BBCNews
Fossett touched down back in Kansas after a 67-hour journey. Essentially, the craft is a flying fuel tank. (Photo: Virgin GlobalFlyer) |
US adventurer Steve Fossett has achieved the first solo non-stop flight around the globe. He completed his mission despite a fuel shortage, landing the Virgin GlobalFlyer at 1948 GMT in Salina, Kansas, where he took off on Tuesday. The millionaire had considered aborting the trip and landing in Hawaii, but he decided to press on because of favourable tail winds.
"What a day," he said as he emerged from the plane after a 67-hour journey. "It's something I wanted to do for a long time," he told a rapturous crowd. "I'm a really lucky guy."
Mr Fossett has notched up more than 100 world records in five different fields of endeavour. In 2002 he became the first man to fly round the world in a balloon single-handed.
On Wednesday there had been speculation that Mr Fossett might have to abandon his first attempt at a jet-propelled circumnavigation because of an unexplained loss of fuel. But later project manager Paul Moore said wind conditions and the fuel situation had improved between Japan and Hawaii, prompting Mr Fossett to tell mission control: "Let's go for it."
When asked how he felt after his second full day of flying, Mr Fossett told reporters via satellite phone: "It feels like three days." "I've gotten minimal naps while keeping my eyes on the instruments," he added.
Flight sponsor Richard Branson expressed confidence in Mr Fossett. "He's a great glider and so if he runs out of fuel before he gets here he will somehow, we hope, make it all the way," the Virgin Atlantic chief told ABC television.
The experimental plane is able to glide up to 320km (200 miles) without fuel. Checks revealed on Wednesday that the vehicle was missing 1,200kg (2,600lbs) of fuel.
Mission controllers have been at a loss to explain the discrepancy - whether the plane was incorrectly filled on the runway, or if it burnt off too much fuel in the early stages of the flight.
Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer - Long-Distance Jet Plane (1) Fuel tanks - Gross weight is 10 tonnes; empty weight is 1.5t (2) Engine - Williams FJ44-3 ATW (10,200 Newtons of thrust) (3) Cockpit - Pressurised and large enough for pilot to lie down Length - 11.7m; Height - 3.6m; Wingspan - 35m Speed - in excess of 460km/h; 290mph; 250 knots |
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