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GlobalFlyer Completes Record-Breaking Flight

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the shoulda-gone-for-two dept.

ikewillis writes "Steve Fossett has successfully landed the GlobalFlyer in Kansas, completing the record-breaking flight and becoming the first person to successfully circle the earth in a nonstop solo flight. The journey of 37,000 kilometres has taken 67 hours, many of them fraught with anxiety over whether the custom-made GlobalFlyer aircraft had enough fuel for the trip. Fossett managed to touch down at 2:48 p.m. EST, to the delight of mission control staff, a small crowd and a marching band that had gathered at the airstrip to welcome him."

2 of 496 comments (clear)

  1. Correction by Zebbie · · Score: 5, Informative
    The post says that the flight took "more than 80 hours," but the first link states the flight took 67 hours.

    Also FYI (37,000 km) / (67 hours) = 343.145285 mph ... pretty darn fast considering they were expecting an average of 285mph.

  2. Re:67 hours no? by Richard_at_work · · Score: 5, Informative

    The actual requirements are '36,787.559-kilometer minimum distance required for the arbiter of world aviation records, the Paris-based Federation Aeronautique Internationale, to recognize the feat.' There you go.