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Round the World Flight Set for Monday

Posted by Zonk on from the where-he-stops-nobody-knows dept.

An anonymous reader writes "LiveScience is now reporting that Burt Rutan's GlobalFlyer is set for Monday takeoff. The plane, piloted by Steve Fossett, has been grounded since January by weather. The mission: the first solo, nonstop circumnavigation of the globe via jet powered craft without refueling." Commentary also available from the BBC.

5 of 129 comments (clear)

  1. Other notable Circumnavigation attempts: by GillBates0 · · Score: 5, Informative
    available in this Wikipedia article.

    The first successful nonstop, nonrefueling flight was made by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager in their Scaled Composites Model 76 Voyager back in 1986. That one wasn't solo though.

    --
    An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
  2. Pfft. by ColonelFubster · · Score: 4, Informative

    Hal & Viola Leveller fly to Laughlin, Nevada from Southern California every week without refueling. And you don't see them being the subject of an article on Slashdot.

    --
    :-M
  3. first with a Jet engine by Bart+van+der+Ouderaa · · Score: 4, Informative

    Burt was the first with an airplane, but it was powered by props. Steve is trying to be the first with a jet engine. A single jet engine in this case.

  4. Much better link by caryw · · Score: 4, Informative

    Much more information suitable to the slashdot crowd is available at:
    http://www.virginatlanticglobalflyer.com/
    We don't like press releases or watered down news articles.
    Also, I bet the US government has some recon plane that has/can do something like this. I know it's possible with mid-air refueling but I bet they can do it without. Just my $0.02
    - Cary
    --Fairfax Underground: Where Fairfax County comes out to play

  5. Re:Does the pilot sleep? by balster+neb · · Score: 4, Informative

    According to the BBC article, he will be getting next to no sleep.

    Apparently he's pretty used to feats of endurance, and he holds records in aviation and sailing. Due to the nature of the aircraft and the flying conditions, he will constantly have to be at the controls. The only sleep he expects is in the form of 5 minute naps, for which an autopilot backup and countdown alarm will be available.

    His voyage will only take around 80 hours. The first around the world flight of this sort (in 1986) took about 9 days. The two pilots had to work in short shifts, but were severely fatigued at the end of the journey. This solo journey is possible for Steve Fossett because he is using a jet engine.