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Date Posted: 10:23:20 06/23/02 Sun
Author: gmike
Subject: Up, up and away

SYDNEY: US adventurer Steve Fossett crossed New Zealand early this morning to begin a 5,700-mile trip across the South Pacific, setting a fast track in his bid to make the first non-stop solo balloon trip around the world.

The American millionaire's control centre in St. Louis, Missouri, reported he was zipping along at better than 75 mph and had travelled more than 3,600 miles since lifting off from western Australia at 9:40 am local time on Wednesday (1.40pm NZT).

It estimated he would reach the coast of South America in four more days, where he must clear the Andes to continue his Southern Hemisphere journey. If all goes well he would traverse the South Atlantic and Indian oceans and arrive back in Australia in 11 more days, covering 17,000 to 18,000 miles, his control centre has estimated.

On his fifth attempt at the elusive record a year ago, the 58-year-old adventurer was forced down in Brazil 12 days into the trip after encountering storms and unfavourable winds over the South Pacific.

But this year's trip has found both favourable weather and none of the technical problems that caused trouble for the Colorado-based former Chicago markets trader in his previous tries.

Fossett was riding in a closet-sized capsule slung under his silver balloon, eating military-style rations and getting more sleep than his control team expected.

Fossett tried for years to be the first balloonist to circle the globe non-stop. But that honour went in March 1999 to a two-man crew of Swiss pilot Bertrand Piccard and English co-pilot Brian Jones. Fossett then set his sights on being the first to make such a trip solo.

His earlier flights have brought some harrowing experiences, including a 29,000 foot plunge into the Coral Sea off northeast Australia in 1998.

His last attempt ended at 12,600 miles in Brazil, little more than halfway around the world from his Australian launch site.

Progress reports on the attempt are being posted on the website www.spiritoffreedom.com.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/inl/index/0,1008,1244838a4560,FF.html

Should we take bets how many days it takes this time until he is force to land because of the weather.

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