Steve Fossett may not make it

The CNN version says there is a possibility airplane may not have been fully fueled at departure. THAT would be an oops!
 
Ken Ibold said:
The CNN version says there is a possibility airplane may not have been fully fueled at departure. THAT would be an oops!
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Groan...stupid, stupid mistakes would be very bad. Can you imagine what the guy that was supposed to check fuel is thinking? All that money and time. Wow.
 
Checking the fuel? PIC responsibility. Sorry Fossett, if you didn't check to make sure the tanks were topped, I have no sympathy for ya. Sound cold? Maybe a bit, but there is NEVER an excuse not to check fuel.
 
N2212R said:
Checking the fuel? PIC responsibility. Sorry Fossett, if you didn't check to make sure the tanks were topped, I have no sympathy for ya. Sound cold? Maybe a bit, but there is NEVER an excuse not to check fuel.
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No argument there. I just see a bunch of fingerpointing with a rich guy eventually winning and some poor fuel guy getting a reputation he didn't deserve.

WE'D know the difference but the media wouldn't care.
 
N2212R said:
Checking the fuel? PIC responsibility. Sorry Fossett, if you didn't check to make sure the tanks were topped, I have no sympathy for ya. Sound cold? Maybe a bit, but there is NEVER an excuse not to check fuel.
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On a plane like the Global Flyer, physically checking the fuel level may not be possible. Fuel may be tucked into every nook and cranny.
 
Steve Fossett is going for it

He has passed Hawaii, going for a landing in Salina on Thursday :D
 
Brian Austin said:
This is VERY cool. Up-to-date altitude, location, speed, etc..
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Apparently I shouldn't have told you. Now the server is overtaxed. I just got booted off.
 
Apparently their site is getting crushed with requests so I can't get any information. Does anyone know the ETA in Salina?

Chip
 
gibbons said:
Apparently their site is getting crushed with requests so I can't get any information. Does anyone know the ETA in Salina?

Chip
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1:53pm local time in Kansas before I got bumped from the site.
 
As of 11:00 AM EST
Mission Status: US Coastline crossed

There were some concerns overnight, still, about fuel from the engineering team. As every hour passed though, they have grown 'more optimistic' about Steve's prospects of making Salina.

Towns and Cities Steve should overfly:

Many of you are asking where you can see the GlobalFlyer. Here's our best estimate of where he will be when - all times are in UTC, which is EST +5 hours, CST +6 hours and PST +8 hours. This is still tentative, and of course subject to Steve's fuel and stamina holding out. Bear in mind that Steve will not descend from 45,000 feet until around 300 miles from Salina - you'll just have to watch out for that unique single condensation trail!
  • Farmington, NM @ 16:15 UTC
  • Garden City, KS @ 18:19 UTC
  • Salina, KS @ 19:17 UTC (13:17 local time)
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Carol said:
It looks like he will make it just fine :cheerio:
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Don't be saying that until the wheels are stopped on the ramp.

He crossed just South of PUB a little while ago. I went out looking for a contrail but saw nothing. Lots of mid FL contrails but they were all westbound flights. Nothing even close to the right course.

Shouldn't be much longer now before he lands.

I bet after that long at FL500, he's going to have great fun with depth perception when he needs it the most. Probably having a blast getting out of zombie mode too.



BTW: I can't get on the site at the moment but there is apparently a FS2004 addon for the global flyer there. Could be amusing. Anyone up for a reality check and spend a couple days sitting in a small cardboard box with a monitor and flight stick and serious sleep depravation?? ;)
 
I didn't want to start another thread on Steve so I'll just attach to this one.

Did anyone see that the bored millionaire is going to land stuff now?
World record setting aviator, sailor and balloonist Steve Fossett announced today his next major project - to raise the Absolute Land Speed Record to 800 mph

Fossett’s dart-like vehicle is 47 feet long and weighs 9,000 lbs – looking much like a single-seat jet fighter without its wings. Power is from a single, after-burning J-79 turbojet developing 22,650 lbs of thrust (45,200 hp) formerly fitted to a USAF F-4 Phantom fighter-bomber. The car was originally designed and built by five-time land speed record-holder Craig Breedlove for an unsuccessful 1996/97 LSR campaign, and is currently undergoing chassis modifications and aerodynamic development under Fossett's team, led by project director and aerodynamicist Eric Ahlstrom
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That is pretty wild, I remember all the land speed stuff in the 1960's but it has seemed have died out. If he get that fast on land is he breaking the sound barrier?
 
smigaldi said:
I didn't want to start another thread on Steve so I'll just attach to this one.

Did anyone see that the bored millionaire is going to land stuff now?


That is pretty wild, I remember all the land speed stuff in the 1960's but it has seemed have died out. If he get that fast on land is he breaking the sound barrier?
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Yup, and by a good margin, too.
 
Current record is 763.04 mph

http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9710/15/brits.land.speed/

It was a good day at Black Rock...

link.thrust.ssc.lg.jpg


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ThrustSSC


smigaldi said:
I didn't want to start another thread on Steve so I'll just attach to this one.

Did anyone see that the bored millionaire is going to land stuff now?


That is pretty wild, I remember all the land speed stuff in the 1960's but it has seemed have died out. If he get that fast on land is he breaking the sound barrier?
Click to expand...
 
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