SALINA, KAN. - American adventurer Steve Fossett landed safely in Kansas Thursday afternoon, becoming the first person to fly solo around the world without stopping or refuelling.
"That was something I've wanted to do for a long time," Fossett said after climbing out of the cramped 2.1-metre cockpit of the custom-made GlobalFlyer. "It was a major ambition."
The journey of 37,000 kilometres took 67 hours, many of them fraught with anxiety over whether the aircraft had enough fuel for the trip.
However, Fossett managed to touch down at Salina Municipal Airport at 2:50 p.m. EST, to the delight of mission control staff, a small crowd and a marching band that had gathered to welcome him.
Fossett and his team decided Wednesday to push forward from Hawaii rather than abort the trip by landing to check the accuracy of fuel gauges showing that about one-seventh of the jet's fuel supply had mysteriously disappeared during the flight's early stages.
Favourable tailwinds helped propel the GlobalFlyer across the Pacific, conserving what fuel remained in the tanks until it was safely over land and able to glide to the ground if necessary.
The last part of Fossett's path took him south of Las Vegas, over the southern edge of the Grand Canyon, over New Mexico and into Salina.
On Wired
Friday, March 04, 2005
GlobalFlyer: Mission Accomplished
SALINA, KAN. - American adventurer Steve Fossett landed safely in Kansas Thursday afternoon, becoming the first person to fly solo around the world without stopping or refuelling.
"That was something I've wanted to do for a long time," Fossett said after climbing out of the cramped 2.1-metre cockpit of the custom-made GlobalFlyer. "It was a major ambition."
The journey of 37,000 kilometres took 67 hours, many of them fraught with anxiety over whether the aircraft had enough fuel for the trip.
However, Fossett managed to touch down at Salina Municipal Airport at 2:50 p.m. EST, to the delight of mission control staff, a small crowd and a marching band that had gathered to welcome him.
Fossett and his team decided Wednesday to push forward from Hawaii rather than abort the trip by landing to check the accuracy of fuel gauges showing that about one-seventh of the jet's fuel supply had mysteriously disappeared during the flight's early stages.
Favourable tailwinds helped propel the GlobalFlyer across the Pacific, conserving what fuel remained in the tanks until it was safely over land and able to glide to the ground if necessary.
The last part of Fossett's path took him south of Las Vegas, over the southern edge of the Grand Canyon, over New Mexico and into Salina.
On Wired
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