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Steve Fossett (born April 22 , 1944 , in Jackson , Tennessee ) is a United States aviator and Adventurer known for his appetite to set world records. Fossett, who made his fortune in American Financial Markets , is best known for his five world record non-stop Circumnavigation s of the Earth : as a long-distance solo balloonist, as a sailor, and as a solo airplane pilot. Fossett is among the world's greatest adventurers - and currently he holds official World Records in 5 sports. Fossett grew up in Garden Grove, California. In 1966 he graduated from Stanford University with a BA. In 1968 he graduated with a MBA from The Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis , Missouri and today is on the Board of Trustees. Fossett is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and The Explorers Club . OVERVIEW Steve Fossett is well known for his world record setting adventures in balloons, sailboats, gliders and powered aircraft. He is an aviator of exceptional breadth of experience -- from his tenacious quest to become the first person to achieve a solo balloon flight around the world (finally succeeding on his 6th attempt in 2002) to setting, with co-pilot Terry Delore, 10 of the 21 Glider Open records, including the first 2,000 km Out-and-Return and the first 1,500 km Triangle flights. His achievements as a jet pilot in a Cessna Citation X include records for U.S. Transcontinental, Australia Transcontinental, and Round-the-World Westbound non-supersonic flights. In 2005, Fossett made the First Solo circumnavigation of the world unrefueled non-stop in 67 hours in Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer, a single engine jet airplane. In 2006, he again circumnavigated the world unrefueled non-stop in 76 hours, 45 minutes in the Global Flyer setting the absolute record for the longest flight by any aircraft in history – 26,389 statute miles. In 2002 Fossett received aviation's highest award, the Gold Medal of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). BALLOON PILOT On February 21 , 1995 , Fossett landed in Leader, Saskatchewan , Canada , becoming the first person to make a solo flight across the Pacific Ocean in a Balloon . In 2002 , he became the first person to fly around the world alone, nonstop, in a balloon. He launched from Northam , Western Australia , on June 19 , 2002 , and returned to Australia on July 3 , 2002 , subsequently landing in Queensland , Australia. Duration and distance of this solo balloon flight was 13 days 8 hours 33 minutes (14 days 19 hours 50 minutes to landing), 20,626.48 statute miles (33,195.10 km) SAILOR Steve Fossett is also one of the world's most accomplished Sailor s. Speed sailing has been Fossett's specialty and, since 1993, he has dominated the record sheets, setting 23 official world records (12 still standing) and 9 distance race records (8 still standing). On the maxi-catamaran "Cheyenne" Steve has twice set the prestigious 24 Hour Record of Sailing. In October 2001, Steve and his crew set a TransAtlantic record of 4 days 17 hours - not so much beating as obliterating the previous record by a whopping 43 hours 35 minutes - an increase in average speed of nearly 7 knots. (Note: Many of the records were set by Fossett on the maxi-cat "Cheyenne" when the boat was known as "PlayStation.") In early 2004 he, as skipper, set the world record for fastest circumnavigation of the world (58 days and 9 hours) in his sailboat Cheyenne with a crew of 13. AIRSHIP PILOT Fossett set the Absolute World Speed Record for airships on October 27 , 2004 . This new record for fastest flight with an Airship was accomplished by flying a huge Zeppelin NT with a recorded average speed of 62.2 Knots (115.0 km/h, 71.5 mph.) The previous record was 50.1 knots (92.8 km/h, 57.7 mph) set in 2001 in a Virgin Airship. AIRPLANE PILOT GLOBAL FLYER On , Fossett completed the record-breaking flight after 67 hours and 1 minutes and 10 seconds, with an average speed of 342/2 Mph . On February 11 , 2006 , Fossett broke the world record for the longest nonstop flight, covering a distance of 25,766 miles (41,467 km). The flight, in his single jet engine experimental plane ''Global Flyer'' lasted 76 hours, 45 minutes. He made an emergency landing at Bournemouth Airport , UK , after losing electrical power. His fuel tanks had 1100 Pound s remaining from an initial load of 18,100 pounds (8,210 kg), although during Fossett's descent into Bournemouth the fuel gage read incorrectly at 200 pounds. Fossett flew from Salina, Kansas on March 14, 2006 and returned to land in Salina on March 17, 2006 after circumnavigating the globe in 74 hours and 26 minutes and covering an official distance of 40,655.4 km (25,262.1 miles). This final record flight of the Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer was the Absolute Closed Circuit Distance Record. This record was previously held by Richard Rutan and Jeana Yeager in their 1986 flight in Voyager. Fossett has now set three of the seven "Absolute" records of airplanes. Permanent display is planned for Global Flyer at the Hazy Center of the Smithsonian's National Air & Space Museum. CESSNA JET AND TURBOPROP PLANES Steve also holds Round the World records for medium weight airplanes (in both directions) as well as the U.S. transcontinental records for non-supersonic airplanes and unlimited turboprops. Cessna Citation X Jet USA Transcontinental Record West to East (non-supersonic), San Diego to Charleston SC, 2 hours 56 minutes 20 seconds, 726.83 mph (1169.73 km/h), 5 February 2003. USA Transcontinental Record East to West (non-supersonic), Jacksonville to San Diego, CA, 3 hours 29 minutes 35 seconds 591.96 mph (952.67 km/h), 17 September 2000. Turboprop Turboprop (unlimited), San Diego to Charleston SC, Joe Ritchie as PIC in a Piaggio, 3 hours 51 minutes 52 seconds, 546.44 mph (879.46 km/h), 5 February 2003. VICKERS VIMY BI-PLANE On July 2 , 2005 Fossett and co-pilot Mark Rebholz recreated the first direct crossing of the Atlantic by the British team of John Alcock and Arthur Whitten Brown in June 1919 in a Vickers Vimy bi-plane. GLIDER PILOT PURSUITS AND WORLD RECORDS An amazing team, Steve Fossett and Terry Delore, have set multiple glider world records in three major locations: New Zealand, Argentina and Nevada, USA. Distance (Free) World Record Terry Delore (NZL), PIC 2192.9 km--4 December 2004 Triangle Distance (Free) World Record Terry Delore (NZL), Co-pilot 1509,7 km-13 December 2003 Terry Delore (NZL), PIC 2002,44 km--14 November 2003 1500 Kilometer Triangle World Record Terry Delore (NZL), Co-pilot 119.11 km/h (74.02 mph)--13 December 2003 1250 Kilometer Triangle Terry Delore(NZL), Copilot, U.S.National Record 143,48 km/h (89.51 mph)-Exceeded world record by .01 km/h-30 July 2003 750 Kilometer Triangle World Record Terry Delore(NZL), Co-pilot 171,29 km/h(106,44 mph)-29 July 2003 Terry Delore (NZL) as Co-pilot 187.12 km/h (116.27 mph)-15 November 2003 Terry Delore (NZL), PIC 166.46 km/h (103,44 mph)-12 December 2002 Terry Delore (NZL), PIC 156.61 km/h (97.30 mph)-14 November 2003 Triangle Distance (Declared) World Record Terry Delore (NZL), Co-pilot 1502,6 km-13 December 2003 Terry Delore (NZL), Co-pilot 1804,7 km-14 November 2003 Perlan Project Fossett joined pilot Einer Enevoldson for the Perlan Project . This is an attempt to fly a Glider to great altitude by exploiting stratospheric waves, with the aim of 62,000 feet. This glider, a modified DG505, is a fixed wing aircraft with no motor. Although altitude flight attempts have been made from New Zealand and Argentina , Fossett has not yet reached the current world record for gliders of 49,009 feet (14,938 m). Since the glider cockpit is unpressurized, the pilots use a supply of oxygen to maintain consciousness (typically above 14,000 feet MSL) and wear pressure suits ( Space Suits ) so that they can fly even higher than most commercial airlines fly. Pilots Steve Fossett and Einer Enevoldson have twice achieved altitudes of over 40,000 feet during altitude record attempts in this project. SCOUTING As a youth, Fossett earned the rank Eagle Scout of the Boy Scouts of America by age 13, and later received the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America. Today Fossett is a member of the World Scout Committee of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS Fossett has competed in and completed premier endurance sports events including the 1,049 mile Iditarod Dog Sled Race , Ironman Triathlon, the English Channel swim, and driven the 24 Hours Of Le Mans as well as setting cross-country skiing records. Steve is also an inveterate hiker and has accomplished 6 of the 7 major peaks in the world. He has set 88 Aviation World Records ratified by Federation Aéronautique Internationale plus 21 sailing world records ratified by the World Sailing Speed Record Council. REFERENCES |
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