Preparing For Fossett's Big Flight

In a short preliminary to what he hopes will be a record-breaking flight, adventurer Steve Fossett Friday flew into the airport from which he'll launch his 'round-the-world adventure: Salina, KS.

It was a six-hour journey from Mojave, CA, where the Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer was built and tested by Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites.

"It was a good flight, a great experience," Fossett said, once his feet were firmly on the ground. He was quoted by the Salina Journal. Salina, with its new 12,300 foot runway and some high-tech support from nearby Kansas State University, is centrally located in the US. Fossett wants to end his global adventure well over land and you can't get much more inland than Salina.

Fossett had little but praise for the Global Flyer after his six-hour shakedown cruise. "It’s a very well-designed airplane," Fossett said. "It’s close to being ready for the global flight." During the three or four test flights Fossett hopes to stage from Salina Municipal, "We’ll work on how we’re going to stage the aircraft and how we’re going to run mission control," he told the Journal. "I want to meet the people who are going to be helping us, kind of get the ball rolling."

The flight over allowed Fossett to get used to a cockpit that will be his home for some 80 hours during his circumnavigational attempt.

Fossett said he spent about an hour of the long flight holding about 10 miles northwest of the airport, spiraling down from 47,000 feet -- at about 400 FPM. While he held, eight other aircraft sped in to the airport ahead of him.

Long endurance indeed. We're still wondering where Rutan put the potty. More importantly, however, is how Fossett will stay awake during the 80-hour journey.

"I’ve done it before," he said. "We’re protected with auto pilots in case I do nod off."

For nutrition, Fossett told the Journal he'll drink a lot of diet shakes.

The Global Flyer 'round-the-world attempt gets underway later this month.

FMI: www.virginatlanticglobalflyer.com