Steve Fossett
Steve Fossett
James Stephen "Steve" Fossettwas an American businessman and a record-setting aviator, sailor, and adventurer. He was the first person to fly solo nonstop around the world in a balloon. He made his fortune in the financial services industry and was best known for many world records, including five nonstop circumnavigations of the Earth: as a long-distance solo balloonist, as a sailor, and as a solo flight fixed-wing aircraft pilot...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionAviator
Date of Birth22 April 1944
CountryUnited States of America
I started mountain climbing with the troop in Southern California when I was 12. I thought I'd do it indefinitely, but then I found other challenges.
It will be very close. I'm stretching the limits of the airplane.
Takeoff was a bit scary, to say the least. I had to use most of the runway to get off the ground. This was particularly hairy, as I couldn't have aborted even if I had wanted to.
Takeoff was a bit scary, to say the least.
There is a risk in the takeoff. There is a risk during the flight of running out of fuel or other mechanical failure in an experimental aircraft.
Whereas my falling in the Coral Sea almost killed me -- because that was in a thunderstorm in a ruptured balloon -- the most dangerous thing in the world,
As of May when we broke the Marseilles-Carthage record, we held the six fastest outright passage records. And now Maiden has encroached on that.
They didn't even offer me a beer or anything.
This is the oldest form of aviation in the world -- ballooning -- and yet it hasn't been done yet.
As a Scout, I learned how to set goals and achieve them. Being a Scout also taught me leadership at a young age when there are few opportunities to be a leader. Scouting values have remained with me throughout my life, in my business career and now as I take on new challenges.
This is getting very discouraging. To get this close and not be able to grab the golden ring,
This is disappointing, but we've been through this before.
This is not just another round-the-world attempt; we mean to succeed this time. That's a tall order.
So this is turning into a real classic test for these boats, and we're motivated to get it back. It is a complex test, planning, meteorology and precise sailing all wrapped up together -- and we do expect to see some pretty big winds.