Fossett Did It.
- Thread starter Lawreston
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etsisk
En-Route
I guess. Seems like a billionaire buying himself an adventure record, though. Liked seeing the plane at Oshkosh, though!Lawreston said:
ScottM
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iBazinga!
This flight did not create in me any sense of wonder or exicitement. I don't know why. Were you all excited about this one?
NC Pilot
Cleared for Takeoff
It didn't until I thought about the physical aspects of doing this. Staying aloft for 76 hours, battling turbulence that you think may bring the plane down, fighting technical problems, napping 5 minutes at a time. The press didn't make a big deal about this one. Seemed like just one more in the record books but, to me, it could not have been an easy ride.smigaldi said:
gibbons
En-Route
I'm sure it wasn't an easy ride, but there's every possibility that a ride is exactly what it was. My understanding is that in Fossett's first flight the autopilot was engaged for all but the takeoff and landing. I'll reserve judgement on Steve's accomplishment until I hear the facts about how much the autopilot was used in this flight (if they actually release this information this time). I'm speculating that Dick Rutan and Jim Younkin actually "did it."NC Pilot said:
etsisk said:I guess. Seems like a billionaire buying himself an adventure record, though. Liked seeing the plane at Oshkosh, though!
You're not alone.
http://www.suntimes.com/output/steinberg/cst-nws-stein10.html
This is a troll. I've emailed Neil Steinberg and seen him on the train and on the way to work. I'll post what he said about Daley's TFR. I'll talk to him the next time I see him.
Being that I knew Steve Fossett when he decided to run the Ididirod, I know it is true that he decided to actively seek out adventures and records to set. People who set records have to go after them. So this guy is somehow contemptable because he has, or can get, the resources to actually make the effort?
This is a billionare who had to stay awake in the same seat for 80 hours and who has done a freefall from 18,000 feet into the Pacific. No matter how much money ya got, mother nature isn't going to impressed.
YOU wanna try it? I don't.
flyingcheesehead
Touchdown! Greaser!
mikea said:
Without a parachute?
ScottM
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But compared to some of the thinngs he has done before this one just wasn't as exciting. I loved when he was balooning around the globe and stuff. But this one just seemed like a Le Mans race to me. As for 80 hours awake, I'll let him do the commute to Korea for 3 days, back to the US for 2 days and then to Japan for 4 more days, US for 3 days, Europe for 4 days and then home trips I make. That'll give you some serious jet lag.NC Pilot said:
fgcason
En-Route
NC Pilot said:
Lindburgh had a much higher risk situation, I'll give the critics that. The design and testing of this plane and it's previous flight is kind of turning it into a low risk flight also. Lindburgh get's bonus points for this specific type of adventure.
BUT:
For anyone who thinks the global flyer routine was a simple, why not conduct a Steve Fosset physiological and psychological simulation experiment and see if it's as easy as simple as sitting on a sofa with a remote and going to bed when you get tired?
1. Set your computer up in a small cardboard box in the living room floor.
2. The box goes on top of a hinged mount teeter totter type thing for someone outside to bang it around from time to time.
3. Install half a dozen or so fuel tanks feeding each other with the controls in your box.
4. Put an unmufflered lawnmower behind the box. (now you know what the fuel tanks are for)
5. Get someone who is willing to come in and screw with the AC/heating system over the next 3 days. (they're also allowed to screw around with the fuel tank setup if they want to)
6. Put a shotgun up against the box with a double load of powder, no shot since this is a simulation but leave the wad in it. If the AC/heating/fuel tampering person has a particularly bad day and you're off course they can fire the gun through the side of the box without warning ending the experiment. (simulates hostile airspace violations)
7. Download the global flyer from their site
8. Get in the box and close the door. (You're not allowed out until arriving at the destination)
9. Crank up FS2004
10. Set all the reality and weather settings to extremely annoying
11. Crank up the lawnmower engine
12. No pauses allowed. No cheating allowed. No potty breaks allowed. No sleeping allowed, No autopilot allowed (this is to make up for the non reality of a toy simulator) If it's not in the box with you after brake release, you'll have to do without.
Now fly his route while staying awake and keeping that engine running for the next 80 hours straight.
Have a nice flight and let us know how it goes in 3 days time...
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ScottM
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fgcason said:
I don't think anyone is saying ti wasn't simple. At least in my case all I have said is that it was not very exiciting. He flown around the globe already so this was just that again and then a bit longer. While this presented several challenges to the support crew and the mission planners those challenges just did not, IMHO, translate well into good viewing for the audience.
I am not trying to take anything away from Steve just stating that given watching this adventure and Olympic ice skating, it would be a hard choice as to which I would be less interested in
fgcason
En-Route
smigaldi said:
Yea. Too much technology oversimplifies things sometimes. It's almost like we're running out of things to do so we're down to variations of what has already been done. It's more along the lines of 'tuff but doable with proven experience' instead of 'never been done before, no clue if it can be done, blast off into the unknown and try anyway.'
smigaldi said:
(a) passing curiosity
(b) too much media drama
I'd go with:
(c) Stacking a single column cheerios!
My thought processes are completely screwed up and don't translate very well today. I'll go away now.