Fossett ist (schon) wieder fad...

[N5528P]

Fossett wants to fly around world, and then some
Thursday, January 12, 2006; Posted: 10:09 p.m. EST (03:09 GMT)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) -- Millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett last year became the first person to fly an aircraft solo, non-stop around the world without refueling. This time, he wants to go even farther.

Fossett plans to fly around the world and cross the Atlantic Ocean a second time, landing outside of London. The flight is expected to take at least 80 hours.

Fossett and his Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer arrived Thursday at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where the round-the-world flight is to begin, to prepare for their next challenge.

Fossett's goal this time is to break the 26,366-mile record for the longest flight by an aircraft, a milestone held by Dick Rutan, the brother of GlobalFlyer designer Burt Rutan, and co-pilot Jeana Yeagar. They flew another Burt Rutan aircraft, Voyager, around the world nonstop in December 1986.

"It would be a thrill to go to space, but I'm an airplane pilot," Fossett said after climbing out of the GlobalFlyer's tiny cockpit. "I'm going to try to do some of the most exciting things I can do -- in airplanes."

Last year the GlobalFlyer, powered by a single jet engine, took off from Salina, Kansas, on February 28, 2005, and returned 67 hours, 1 minute and 46 seconds later.

But the flight was not without problems. The plane leaked 3,100 pounds of fuel during takeoff, and Fossett was not sure he would be able to complete a circumnavigation of the globe.

"We're still struggling with this problem," Fossett acknowledged during a news conference at the space center runway.

If the weather in Florida and conditions of the high-altitude jet stream are acceptable, Fossett could be ready to take off from Cape Canaveral as early as next week.

"There is this challenge left to do," Fossett said. "Fly the airplane to its capability, ... which we believe is farther than any airplane has flown nonstop."

GlobalFlyer must begin its journey before the end of February, while the weather is still cool in Florida. The plane's takeoff weight is 83 percent fuel, and cooler temperatures make for denser air and an easier takeoff.

Originalbeitrag zu finden unter: http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/01/12/fossett.challenge.reut/index.html

[SubStyle]

naja ein moderner Abenteurer hald. wenn ich es mir leisten könnte würde ich und ich glaub auch viele andere irgentwelche verrückten sachen machen so wie er.

Lg peter

[N5528P]

Adventurer attempts flight record on a wing and a milkshake
Global flight will test Fossett's endurance
Monday, February 6, 2006 Posted: 1633 GMT (0033 HKT)


Steve Fossett's goal is to break a 20-year-old record for the longest flight.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) -- Steve Fossett, this era's Phileas Fogg, wants to do something not even the "Around the World in 80 Days" hero could contemplate: Fly around the globe -- and then some -- for more than three days without stopping.

His goal is to break a 20-year-old record for the longest flight. He plans to travel 27,012 miles (43,462 kilometers) in a spindly experimental airplane that helped him break a different record last year.

During his 80 hours in the air, Fossett will take power naps no longer than five minutes each. He'll drink a steady diet of nutritious milkshakes. And he'll relieve himself using "pee bottles" and a plastic bag.

His flight is tentatively set for dawn on Tuesday. He will take off at a runway used to land space shuttles, head east, circumnavigate the world and continue over the Atlantic Ocean for a second time before landing outside London.

"Except for takeoff and landing, it's a slow pace," he said. "That's a good thing. It gives me time to think about every step that I'm making because if I make an error ... it will be devastating to the flight."

If successful, Fossett's trip would surpass the previous airplane record of 24,987 miles (40,204 kilometers) set in 1986 by the Voyager aircraft piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeanna Yeager, as well as the balloon record of 25,361 miles (40,805 kilometers) set by the Breitling Orbiter 3 in 1999.

When Fossett actually leaves the ground depends on the weather. Temperature at takeoff must be less than 54 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius) to achieve maximum thrust, and right now the earliest time that criteria will be met is Tuesday.

Fossett already has faced delays unrelated to weather or engineering. The takeoff was pushed back a few days because Chinese authorities were unable to issue the proper overflight permits during the Chinese New Year, and the plane's movement to the Kennedy Space Center last month was delayed because of a mishap that damaged a wing.

Fossett, 61, a former Chicago investment tycoon, has a wellspring of patience. He had failed five times before successfully circumnavigating the globe solo in a balloon in 2002.

This time the aviator plans to use the same plane, the Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer, that he used last March when he became the first person to fly solo nonstop, without refueling, around the globe in 67 hours. (Full story)

As the plane's name suggests, the venture is being financed by Virgin Atlantic Airways founder Richard Branson.

The glider-like aircraft with a 114-foot (34.2-meter) wing span has two external booms, holding 5,454 pounds (2,454 kilograms) of fuel, on either side of the 7-foot (2.1-meter)-long cockpit, which supports the engine.

At takeoff, fuel is expected to account for almost 85 percent of the graphite-made aircraft's weight. Drag parachutes are used to help it descend from its average flying height of about 45,000 feet (13,500 meters) or slow it down from a top speed of 285 mph.

"When you have an aircraft like that, everything except the cockpit and the engine are basically a part of the fuel tank," said Dick Knapinski, a spokesman for the Experimental Aircraft Association in Oshkosh, Wisconsin "The engine can't be too large because then it would add extra weight, which would need extra fuel, which means you need a bigger airplane. It's a fine line for the person doing the engineering."

That person is Burt Rutan, who designed the Voyager airplane that his brother, Dick, and Yeager used to set the record almost two decades ago. Two years ago, Burt Rutan won the $10 million Ansari X Prize by rocketing his SpaceShipOne to the edge of space twice in five days, a feat considered a breakthrough for the future of private spaceflight.

Rutan has popularized "canard" designs in which small wings are placed near the nose of the aircraft.

"If there are patron saints out there of current airplane design, Burt would have to be among them," Knapinski said.

If Fossett succeeds on this quest, his personal achievement will be significant. But its impact on aviation history will be limited since the era of barrier-breaking aviation records -- Charles Lindbergh's New York-to-Paris flight and Wiley Post's around-the-world flight -- has long passed, said Bob van der Linden, a curator at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum.

"Being able to stay up there and stay alert, being able to do that is terrific, but it's not going to change the world," van der Linden said. "The new barrier, that's spaceflight, because you're pushing the edges of the unknown. Aviation is pretty well-known now."

Originalbeitrag zu finden unter: http://edition.cnn.com/2006/TECH/02/06/fossett.flight.ap/index.html

[LOWA]

Und heute ist er gestartet, das berichtet zumindest der ORF-Onlinedienst (Stand 08. 02. 2006 / 19:32 Uhr)

Der US-Abenteurer Steve Fossett ist heute von Cape Canaveral in Florida aus zu einem neuen Rekordflug gestartet. Der 61-Jährige will mit dem ultraleichten Flugzeug "Virgin Atlantic/Global Flyer" allein und ohne Unterbrechung eine Strecke von 41.978 Kilometern zurücklegen. Fossett will bei seinem Flug keine Pause einlegen.

Der US-Millionär startete um 7.22 Uhr (Ortszeit) seine Reise vom Weltraumbahnhof in Cape Canaveral. Gestern war der Start wegen schlechten Wetters und wegen ausfließenden Treibstoffs verschoben worden.

Solo-Weltumrundung im Vorjahr

Im vergangenen März war Fossett mit seinem Leichtflugzeug bereits eine Solo-Weltumrundung in 67 Stunden gelungen. Allerdings hatte er bei der Landung weniger Treibstoff im Tank als zuvor ausgerechnet. Um Treibstoffmangel zu verhindern, will Fossett dieses Mal die Winde optimal ausnutzen.

Je nach Windverhältnissen wird Fossett unter anderem Zentralafrika, Saudi-Arabien, Indien, China, Japan und Mexiko überfliegen. Nach einer Erdumrundung will Fossett zum zweiten Mal den Atlantik überfliegen und schließlich im britischen Kent landen. Während des voraussichtlich 80 Stunden dauernden Fluges wird der 61-Jährige eine spezielle Diät mit Eiern und Energy-Drinks halten, bei der möglichst wenig ausgeschieden werden muss.

[N5528P]

Rekordflugversuch: Fossett erreicht Nordafrika
Der US-Millionär und Abenteurer Steve Fossett hat bei seinem Rekordflug-Versuch in einem Leichtflugzeug Nordafrika erreicht. Der 61-Jährige flog heute Früh 13.400 Meter über der westalgerischen Wüste, wie der Internetseite der Flugmission zu entnehmen war.

Fossett war 13 Stunden zuvor von Cape Canaveral im US-Bundesstaat Florida aus gestartet. Der 61-Jährige will mit dem ultraleichten Flugzeug "Virgin Atlantic/Global Flyer" allein und ohne Unterbrechung eine Strecke von 41.978 Kilometern zurücklegen.

Das wären 1126 Kilometer mehr, als der Schweizer Bertrand Piccard und der Brite Brian Jones 1999 in einem Ballon zurückgelegt hatten.

Originalbeitrag zu finden unter: http://www.orf.at/ticker/208492.html?tmp=7391

[N5528P]

Wer den Fortschritt verfolgen will:

http://www.virginatlanticglobalflyer.com/

[LOWA]

Fossett stellt neuen Weitflug-Weltrekord auf


Der US-Abenteurer Steve Fossett hat einen neuen Weltrekord aufgestellt: Der 61-jährige Millionär legte mit seinem Flugzeug "Virgin Atlantic/Global Flyer" allein und ohne Unterbrechung eine Strecke von knapp 42.000 Kilometern zurück. Zugleich brach er damit den Rekord für den längsten Non-Stop-Flug eines Motorflugzeugs.

Den bisherigen Weitflug-Rekord hatten der Schweizer Bertrand Piccard und der Brite Brian Jones 1999 in einem Ballon aufgestellt. Fossett war am Mittwoch von Cape Canaveral im US-Bundesstaat Florida aus gestartet, um den Rekord zu brechen.

Fossetts Flugstrecke war um gut tausend Kilometer länger als die von Piccard und Jones. Es handelt sich um eine ganze Erdumrundung plus eine zweite Atlantiküberquerung. Wegen eines technischen Problems musste er allerdings auf einem anderen als dem ursprünglich vorgesehenen landen.

Quelle: http://www.orf.at / 11. FEbruar 2006 / 1909 Uhr

[N5528P]

Ist doch was: 26.000 Meilen in 76 3/4h... der hätte sich von Red Bull sponsern lassen sollen.

Gelandet ist er nicht in Kent sondern in Bournemouth, weil ihm der Generator eingegangen ist. Nach der Landung mit vereister Frotnscheibe stellte sich heraus, dass er nur mehr 200lbs Spirt hatte - hätte auch noch in die Hose gehen können....

Bernhard

[N5528P]

Adventurer claims another flight record
Fossett to retire GlobalFlyer
Friday, March 17, 2006 Posted: 2027 GMT (0427 HKT)


Steve Fossett at the Salina Municipal Airport after landing his GlobalFlyer on Friday.

SALINA, Kansas (AP) -- Adventurer Steve Fossett said Friday that he had broken the record for flying farther than anyone departing and landing at the same spot, traveling more than 25,000 miles (40,225 kilometers) in three days. Fossett landed his lightweight experimental aircraft at Salina Municipal Airport a few hours ahead of schedule, at 9:06 a.m. CST (1706 GMT), more than 74 hours after he took off from the same place. Certification of the record could take two weeks to a year.

Fossett said he flew about 25,300 miles (40,707.7 kilometers) in the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer. The previous closed-circuit record of nearly 25,000 miles (40,225 kilometers) was set in 1986 by Richard Rutan and Jeana Yeager. Fossett called the flight "a great satisfaction" but conceded, "It might not mean a lot to people outside of aviation."

The flight came about a year after he flew out of Salina on the world's first solo nonstop trip around the globe. He returned after 23,000 miles (37,007 kilometers) and 67 hours. Last month, he broke the record for the world's longest aircraft flight, traveling 26,389 miles (42,460 kilometers) in about 76 hours. Fossett piloted the GlobalFlyer on roughly the same route as the flight he took last year, but he added turns to increase the mileage.

He avoided problems with fuel and generators that had plagued two previous GlobalFlyer flights, but a brake malfunctioned, causing the plane to do a complete turn on the runway after it touched down. Fossett said he became restless during his three days in the plane. "Overall this was a very difficult flight because of the amount of time involved," he said. "On the other had, the flight went very well."

He said he is retiring the GlobalFlyer and may donate it to the Smithsonian Institution.

Originalbeitrag zu finden unter: http://edition.cnn.com/2006/TECH/03/17/fossett.flight.ap/index.html