Frst Solo, Non-stop Round the World Airplane Flight

Keep your fingers crossed:

http://www.fossettchallenge.com/
Fossett takes to the skies on the first solo, non-stop round the
world airplane flight

18:45 Central Standard Time, 28 February 2005 - Salina, Kansas,
USA: At around 6:45 pm local time this evening (00:45 GMT, 1
March) record-setting pilot Steve Fossett (USA, b. 1944) powered
down the 12,000' runway here at Salina Municipal Airport and took
off - targeting the first ever solo, non-stop round the world
airplane flight. ...

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http://www.virginatlanticglobalflyer.com/
Mission Status: 15:07UTC at Mission Control. Elapsed Journey time:
14 hours 20 minutes. Distance covered approximately 44,00 nautical
miles.

Steve is now flying at 44,866ft, and still climbing as he has
permission to go to 47,000 ft. Now in Moroccan airspace he expects
to intercept with the chase plane very shortly. In his last call
with the press he said, 'At this time everything is going very
well, I'm very happy with the stiuation [sic] and I think we've
got a good chance.'

Steve is currently traveling at 340 knots/ 390 mph (ground speed).
...

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http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/...in676862.shtml
Around The World In 66 Hours
...
He will be powered by a single jet engine, 18,000 pounds of fuel
and diet milkshakes.
...
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/globalflye...427755,00.html
Round-the-world record bid under way

Jane Perrone
Tuesday March 1, 2005


GlobalFlyer, piloted by Steve Fossett, takes off. Photo: David
Eulitt/AP

Millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett's GlobalFlyer plane took off
into the clear Kansas skies today, setting in motion a world
record bid described by his backer and friend Sir Richard Branson
as the last great aviation record - flying nonstop and solo around
the world.

GlobalFlyer's 19,863 nautical mile, 285mph white knuckle ride
began at an airfield in the city of Salina, Kansas as Fossett
folded himself into his 7ft cockpit - home for the next 80 hours -
at 6.30pm local time (0030GMT).

He spent 15 minutes making last-minute checks before the
fragile-looking aircraft powered along the 12,300ft runway,
accelerating to a speed of 140mph before lifting off at exactly
6.47pm and 10 seconds in front of the assembled press corps and an
estimated 8,000 onlookers.
...