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GlobalFlyer Completes Record-Breaking Flight
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."
The friendly article mentioned "The journey of 37,000 kilometres took 67 hours".
What is unknown is the amount of fuel left when the craft was landed, I'm sure I'm not the only one eager to find out.
Rock that crushes, Paper & Scissors that don't matter.
The only difference between Steve Fosset and myself is millions upon millions of dollars.
/. is just as honorable.
Yeah, that and talent, vision, courage, ability, funding, support, drive, goals, and...well...a record.
But don't worry, trolling on
Well, he decided to land in freakin' Kansas. They don't have many people out there, feewer people who give a rat's ass.
If he would have landed in Chicago, NYC, or any number of other places, he would have had a huge crowd.
Pretty Pictures!
We can debate whether Fosset deserves praise, but I think it's pretty clear that it's a huge accomplishment for Burt Rutan.
This really seems to be overhyped to me. It is, at most, an incremental improvement over the status quo. Lindberg crossing the Atlantic was significant because nothing like it had ever been done; but we first orbited the Earth back in the '60s, military aircraft circle the globe in flight constantly, and there has never really been a commercial need for a plane that could go more than halfway around the world at one time. So, yeah, congratulations and all, but this sounds more like a millionaire sailing around the world in his yacht than the next Magellan.
"Hardly used" will not fetch you a better price for your brain.
Obviously this man has a lot of opportunity in his life. He has obtained enough wealth to do whatever he so chooses, and rather than living a shallow quiet life of no regard, he has chosen to live life to its fullest.
He has decided to break records, to participate in the production of a machine which would allow a human to do something no other human has done before. He has chosen to make history not just as a man with money, but a man with money who decided to live the adventure.
Contrast this with the opposite: gather money, buy, sell, rinse and repeat until you die. Is that what you would have rather seen? Would you have congratulated this man on living a life worth living having done that? I doubt it. This man hasn't do that - he has decided to do something more.
The Richard Bransons in this world are men who have opportunity and take it. They live their lives to a degree that we cannot because of our financial situation. They could easily, EASILY decide to lay back and do nothing at all. These men do not do that, rather they willingly decide to pioneer, to carve a path for the rest of humanity. Whether it is creating extremely efficient aircraft, going into space or more, they are living their lives to its fullest potential.
Remember: All men die, few men really live.
To make a pun demonstrates the highest understanding of a language
Time is worth more than money. The fact that he spent his own personal time and money to make this happen is a testament to the courage and vision and talent.
When Universities spend government grant money to do stuff like this, people fall all over themselves to congratulate them. Some guy spends his own money and years of his life to do the same, and suddenly he is some "rich fuck" in your eyes.
It is obvious that your problem is that you are insecure about your own lack of funds and this is preventing you from congratulating someone who deserves accolades for their hard work. This wasn't some fly-by-night (no pun intended) attempt. This guy has been trying for many years with multiple prototypes and failed attempts. He didn't give up, regardless of how expensive it was.
Get over the fact that you are not rich and see the value that his research brings to the world. (the same value you would see if this was a government funded research project).
-David
Many of his adventures have a big chance in ending in a lethal failure. Yeah he has money, but he is living the dreams of many who do not and inspiring some of them to try to put themselves in the same position.
Losers rarely want to do what winners have to do.
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
As a result (and to protect your mental faculties) your capacity for true joy has been severely curtailed. Don't worry. There are many like you out there. Jaded, bored and drowning in ennui. The rest of us allow ourselves the opportunatity to be hurt and perhaps even overloaded. As a result we feel real joy when others accomplish great things.
I don't really know if your type is more prevalant than my type and frankly I think the answer would probably depress the fuck out of me.
Try to find your wonderment. In your capacity for humanity. For our ability to push boundries and reach for the unknown. For the very real way that despite all of the dangers we pose to ourselves we have so far avoided utter distruction.
Unless you are willing to risk disappointment you will never know true joy.
I am pro-lifechoice.