Knowra Steve Fossett Steve Fossett Steve Fossett was an American businessman and adventurer who set records in aviation, ballooning, sailing, and other endurance pursuits. He disappeared during a flight over Nevada in 2007; his aircraft wreckage was found the following year.
GlobalFlyer : A single-engine aircraft designed for Steve Fossett’s solo, nonstop circumnavigation of Earth. Fossett flew it around the world alone and nonstop in 2005.
Aircraft fuel efficiency : The amount of distance an aircraft can travel for a given quantity of fuel. GlobalFlyer’s efficiency made a nonstop, unrefueled circumnavigation possible.
Richard Branson : A British entrepreneur who founded the Virgin Group and sponsored aviation and ballooning ventures. Branson backed Fossett’s GlobalFlyer project and joined his ballooning attempts.
Aviation records : Officially recognized benchmarks for aircraft performance, speed, distance, altitude, and duration. Fossett’s flights added records for nonstop distance and circumnavigation.
Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer : The 2006 solo flight by Steve Fossett that set a record for nonstop, unrefueled circumnavigation. This flight extended Fossett’s GlobalFlyer achievement with a longer route.
Balloon flight : Flight in a lighter-than-air craft whose buoyancy comes from heated air or lifting gas. Fossett’s balloon records depended on managing altitude, winds, and limited supplies.
Burt Rutan : An American aerospace engineer known for unconventional aircraft designs, including the GlobalFlyer. Rutan designed GlobalFlyer, the aircraft central to Fossett’s 2005 and 2006 records.
FAI World Air Sports Federation : The international governing body that ratifies world records in air sports. The FAI verified several aviation and ballooning records associated with Fossett.
Solo Spirit : The balloon used by Steve Fossett for his 2002 solo circumnavigation of Earth. It carried Fossett on the first solo balloon flight around the world.
Circumnavigation : A journey that travels around a world, island, or other geographic body and returns to its starting region. Fossett’s aviation and ballooning records involved routes around Earth.
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