Whereas a typical
person with a bent towards flight collects model airplanes or
stamps bearing historically significant aircraft, adventurer and
pilot Steve Fossett collects world records. Aside from two dozen or
so land and water-based records, he can lay claim to a comparable
number of records while slipping "the surely bonds of earth" (to
paraphrase poet/pilot John Gillespie Magee - here & elsewhere).
On Friday, 17 March 2006 at 9:06 AM, another world record was added
to his accomplishments, and GPS equipment from FreeFlight Systems
was there playing a role.
Starting and finishing in Salina, Kansas, Steve logged 25,293.9
statute miles in 74.27 hours, setting a closed-course distance
record in an aircraft and beating a previous record set in 1986.
This is a significant accomplishment, not least because of dangers
inherent in solo flight in a realm "where neither lark nor eagle
fly"; surely crossing the Pacific at 51,000 feet with outside air
temperature of -77o C falls into this risk category. This record,
however, was not achieved without notable contributions from modern
technology. Foremost was the aircraft itself, the Virgin Atlantic
GlobalFlyer from Scaled Composites. Weighing roughly the same as a
Mercedes Benz SLK 350 Roadster (but costing more, if you can
believe it), the requisite lift and thrust for the round-the-world
jaunt were provided while sheltering the pilot in a protective
cocoon of graphite/epoxy and Aramid honeycomb. Of course, altitude
and forward velocity may be sufficient for traveling if not too
picky about destination, but that isn't an option when flying a
closed course. Getting to a particular destination requires
something more, especially when the endless monotony of deserts and
oceans must be traversed. That something extra is navigation.
With successful full-scale deployment of the Global Positioning
System (GPS) in 1995, travelers can determine latitude and
longitude from anywhere in the world. With the added benefit of
satellite-based augmentation over the United States (WAAS),
positioning capability becomes even more precise. FreeFlight
Systems is proud to have provided this capability to the
GlobalFlyer. Its Model 1201 GPS/WAAS receiver, together with a
Chelton EFIS as the navigation display, provided constant knowledge
of position despite changes in altitude, weather, or underlying
geography, an attribute essential to a safe journey and mission
success.
Over three days while "trodding the high untrespassed sanctity
of space", Steve Fossett traveled more miles than most travel in a
lifetime. The poets amongst us might wonder if he had occasion to
"put out his hand to touch the face of God". In doing so he would
neither have been the first, nor the last. Regardless of how those
lonely hours were spent, it is safe to observe that pilots depend
increasingly on GPS for safe passage and return to earth. That
equipment often comes from FreeFlight Systems.
FreeFlight Systems, created with the acquisition of Trimble
Navigation's Business & Commuter Avionics segment, is an
international leader in satellite-based navigation for airborne
applications. Based in Waco, Texas, it develops, manufactures and
sells a range of products with TSO or PMA approval.