Fossett, Fossett, Fossett, .... is he really that great?

On Fri, 04 Mar 2005 11:41:01 -0600, Chris W wrote:

Second hasn't this
been done before

No, not solo. The other plane to accomplish it was also designed and
built by Burt Rutan, and flown by his brother and the brother's
girlfriend, so the pilots could get some sleep. Also it had two recip
engines, a clever idea but not as impressive as building a jet that
could do the job. I want to know more about that jet!


-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net

"Cub Driver" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 04 Mar 2005 11:41:01 -0600, Chris W wrote:

I want to know more about that jet!


This is supposedly a stock Williams FJ44-3. 2000 have been built. Nothing
special.

http://www.virginatlanticglobalflyer...iams/index.jsp
http://www.williams-int.com/high/product/fj44-3.htm

I want to know more about that jet!


This is supposedly a stock Williams FJ44-3. 2000 have been built. Nothing
special.

http://www.virginatlanticglobalflyer...iams/index.jsp


Many thanks for the link. Just what I wanted to know!


-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net

Several flights were made across the Atlantic prior to Lindburg.

Lucky Lindy was first to fly solo and everyone remembers his name but
no one remembers the names of prior fliers.

Will history be repeated?

Big John
```````````````````````````````````````````


On Fri, 04 Mar 2005 11:41:01 -0600, Chris W wrote:

Bob Engelhardt wrote:

I don't get it: Burt Rutan designed and built the GlobalFlyer and
Branson financed it - why is Fosset getting all the attention and why
was he the pilot? Is he really that great of a pilot? It seems that
his real fame is as "adventurer". Maybe what he brought to the
project was his name and fame.


I have been wondering what the big deal about this flight is from the
beginning. First flying around the world non stop doesn't sound like
much of an adventure to me, it sounds pretty boring. Second hasn't this
been done before and aren't there several planes in existence that, if
filled with fuel instead of people and or cargo, could fly non stop
around the world? Third, what's the point? If you can fly half way
around the world, you can get from anywhere to anywhere.

Several flights were made across the Atlantic prior to Lindburg.

Lucky Lindy was first to fly solo and everyone remembers his name but
no one remembers the names of prior fliers.

I think the issue was that Lindberg flew it nonstop.

Jose
--
Math is a game. The object of the game is to figure out the rules.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

"Jose" wrote in message
. ..
Several flights were made across the Atlantic prior to Lindburg.

Lucky Lindy was first to fly solo and everyone remembers his name but
no one remembers the names of prior fliers.

I think the issue was that Lindberg flew it nonstop.

Maybe for you but for most people it was the fact it was a solo flight.


Jose
--
Math is a game. The object of the game is to figure out the rules.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

In a previous article, Jose said:
Several flights were made across the Atlantic prior to Lindburg.
Lucky Lindy was first to fly solo and everyone remembers his name but
no one remembers the names of prior fliers.

I think the issue was that Lindberg flew it nonstop.

No, because Alcott and Brown did it nonstop in 1919. The difference was
that
a) they weren't solo and
b) they went Gander Nfld to Ireland versus New York to Paris

Lindberg was significant in the grand scheme of things because he went
from one significant city to another, paving the way for commercial
flights.

--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
"He passed away during an important civic function held in his honor when the
platform upon which he was standing collapsed." "I thought he was hanged?"
"That's what I said, isn't it?"

Alcott and Brown did it nonstop in 1919. The difference was
that
a) they weren't solo and
b) they went Gander Nfld to Ireland versus New York to Paris

Lindberg was significant in the grand scheme of things because he went
from one significant city to another, paving the way for commercial
flights.

Well, Nfld to Ireland is hardly a trans-atlantic flight. Ok,
technically it is across the atlantic, and it would be just as
inconvenient for the pilot's cooling fan to stop working, but the issue
of "one significant city to another" is more a side effect of the fact
that these significant cities are further away than the narrowest part
of the atlantic.

Being solo is also just happenstance. Had Lindburg not done it, and had
the other flight in the tri-motor succeeded, it would have been a crew
of two or three (if I'm not mistaken; I don't have my copy of the book
handy) that crossed the atlantic (coming from Paris) that would have
gotten the credit and the prize.

You are correct that in going from one significant city to another, it
paved the way for commercial flights.

Jose
--
Math is a game. The object of the game is to figure out the rules.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

On Sat, 05 Mar 2005 16:05:04 GMT, Jose
wrote:

Being solo is also just happenstance. Had Lindburg not done it, and had
the other flight in the tri-motor succeeded, it would have been a crew
of two or three (if I'm not mistaken; I don't have my copy of the book
handy) that crossed the atlantic (coming from Paris) that would have
gotten the credit and the prize.

I don't think the excitement would have been there. People wnat one
hero, not a gang of them. And Lindbergh's persona was also tailor-made
for celebrity. He was tall, he was handsome, he was aw-shucks shy. The
perfect American hero, at least until John Wayne came along.


-- all the best, Dan Ford

email (put Cubdriver in subject line)

Warbird's Forum: www.warbirdforum.com
Piper Cub Forum: www.pipercubforum.com
the blog: www.danford.net

Jose wrote:

Several flights were made across the Atlantic prior to Lindburg.

Lucky Lindy was first to fly solo and everyone remembers his name but
no one remembers the names of prior fliers.

I think the issue was that Lindberg flew it nonstop.

No, as far as the Atlantic is concerned, the issue is that Lindberg flew it
solo. He became famous (and took the prize) for making the first non-stop flight
between New York and Paris. The team of Alcock and Brown were the first to cross
the Atlantic. They did it ten years before Lindberg's flight.

George Patterson
I prefer Heaven for climate but Hell for company.