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
It's something I've wanted to do for a long time.
We were dragged for at least a couple of miles and probably bounced 50 times before the balloon settled down enough so we could get outside the capsule and jump into the water,
Currently, I would say the chances are no more than 50-50. It would be devastating to have to ditch the ultimate distance record when I am in the home straight.
They didn't even offer me a beer or anything.
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.
This is the oldest form of aviation in the world -- ballooning -- and yet it hasn't been done yet.
It was a scary time, and I had my parachute on and I was prepared to bail out in case a wing broke.
They see that as part of their future. We're a discovery project for them, to discover new uses for the shuttle landing facility. As far as Kennedy is concerned, it's a great runway, a runway in perfect condition, equal to the longest available in the United States.
There's no turning back. It was halfway around the world when I found the fuel problem, ... Not only might the flight not have finished, but I might have gotten the plane stuck somewhere.
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.
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.
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.