Record flight

last updated 8 January 2015

Salina, Kan.

Adventurer Steve Fossett flew around the world in 67 hours last week, becoming the first pilot to circle the globe solo without stopping. Fossett, 60, nearly gave up over Hawaii, when the fuel levels in his 13 tanks appeared low. Then, pushed by strong tail winds, he radioed his crew, saying, “Let’s go for it.” Tens of thousands cheered as Fossett touched down where he had started, in Salina, Kan. The 23,000-mile trip—in a jet designed by aviation innovator Burt Rutan—nearly doubled the record for a jet flight without refueling. Fossett had already circumnavigated the globe alone once, using a balloon, but he said this trip was harder. “Believe me,” he said, “it’s great to be back on the ground.”