Around the World In 14 Days 261
An anonymous reader writes: "Adventurer Steve Fossett succeeded Tuesday on his sixth try to pilot a balloon solo around the world, crossing the meridian where he started his historic journey June 19, his ground crew at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, announced. Here is the official site, while there's also several other articles, including this one."
I'm glad he finally made it (Score:4, Funny)
Re:I'm glad he finally made it (Score:1)
Re:I'm glad he finally made it -NOPE (Score:2)
If he did then, he should have went a shorter route, like once around the south pole at the 89 degree mark.
Re:I'm glad he finally made it (Score:1)
I'd like to see him circumnavigate the globe at the equator.
That should be possible in a balloon equipped with a missile defense system. Times are different now than they were when the Breitling Orbiter made its trip.
The circumnavigation rules state... (Score:2)
Wouldn't it have been easier... (Score:2, Insightful)
I'm not trying to be a jerk, but look at the polar view of his flightpath. He's not near the equator, and he never crosses it. It looks more like a circumnavigation of Antarctica than a circumnavigation of the globe. It only looks like a circumnavigation of the globe if you use the 'flat' map, and only because it smears Antartica out.
Re:Wouldn't it have been easier... (Score:3, Interesting)
Steve Fossett would know this due to the fun he's had with his PlayStation.
Re:Wouldn't it have been easier... (Score:2)
Re:Wouldn't it have been easier... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Wouldn't it have been easier... (Score:2, Informative)
14 Days in that balloon ? (Score:1)
Hey, look! I just crapped on some Taliban..
Man, I am glad he didnt fly over me.
Re:14 Days in that balloon ? (Score:1)
I give him a silver star (Score:3, Insightful)
not 24,000 miles (Score:4, Informative)
Sure, he set a record for the longest distance solo flight, I'll give him that.
Re:not 24,000 miles (Score:5, Insightful)
-snip-
As established by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale - the International governing body of aeronautics - the rules say a pilot must set a course of waypoints within a band of the Earth that stays at least 30 degrees latitude south of the North Pole or 30 degrees north of the South Pole. The lines joining those waypoints (on a "great circle" projection) must stay outside those polar caps, although parts of the actual flight can drift inside them.
Just doesn't look like circumnavigation to me (Score:1)
Re:Just doesn't look like circumnavigation to me (Score:1)
Re:I give him a silver star (Score:1)
That's sort of what made Voyager's flight so neat -- they not only did the non-stop around the world flight, they also covered the equatorial distance in the process.
I could do that... (Score:1, Informative)
Re:I could do that... (Score:1)
Why? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Why? (Score:1)
Re:Why? (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:Why? (Score:1)
Medevo
Re:Why? (Score:1)
Perhaps he faked it. Did anyone see it? We didn't really land on the moon, did we? FOX doesn't think we did.
Re:Why? (Score:3, Insightful)
Because it's there?
Because they thought it would be fun/cool/neat/whatever?
Because they *wanted* to?
Why wouldn't they? Once you make enough money to cover your daily life, why not spend the rest on something fun?
Also, bear in mind that it's only *one* balloonist in this case. This is the first *solo* circumnavigation.
Re:Why? (Score:2)
It's just somebody (with too much time and money on their hands) having fun. What makes it news???
This one isn't any real streching of our human limits (like say, the first moon landing), it's no gift to humanity (like a cure for AIDS would be) - what makes it newsworthy???
Re:Why? (Score:2)
Because we (the people paying attention to it) also think it's neat.
Why are newspapers and sites like slashdot following it? Presumably because they think enough readers are interested in it to justify the page space. This is no different from any other human-interest story.
You could also wax poetic about it being an inspiring story of determination triumphing over adversity. Take your pick.
If you, personally, aren't interested - more power to you. Don't read the article. The time wasted by skipping it is negligeable.
It's about damn time (Score:1, Redundant)
Haha! (Score:1)
Re:Haha! (Score:4, Interesting)
Branson never attempted the flight solo. He was pipped on the circumnavigation by some other team, and Fosset then went alone to become the first to do it solo.
Official rules as to what constitutes a flight which is a real circumnavigation are on the site, it has to be between the two 30 degree meridiens basically... in any case it will not be ratified until some weeks have passed.
Re:Haha! (Score:2)
That's not his first name! (Score:4, Funny)
Damned Americans! (Score:1)
Re:That's not his first name! (Score:2, Funny)
Wow! (Score:2, Insightful)
Brian Ellenberger
Re:Wow! (Score:2)
Your snide comment is silly since it's said everywhere from CNN to
Of course when people are starving you ask what is the benefit, but what have you done lately to compare?
Re:Wow! (Score:2)
It's a valid comment (and a joke from the Leno monologue). We sent spacecraft around the moon thirty years ago, but now we're supposed to get excited about a person going around the world in a ballon, just because he's the FIRST to care enough to try it?
And he wasn't the first to round the earth in a balloon; he was the first to do it solo. Not too impressive, if you ask me.
Re:Wow! (Score:2)
Great we sent someone to the moon thirty years ago. But when we go to great depths of the sea we don't go "well... it aint mars".
Leno is dumb, I'm sorry I missed that one, don't be suprised I did.
Still, the point remains no one else has done it... like you, or me.
Re:Wow! (Score:2)
Well, I was going to do it last year, but I was born several million dollars too poor.
This is not a feat of great skill, but of adequate engineering, and good weather.
High Altitude Sleep Deprivation Study (Score:3, Funny)
Re:High Altitude Sleep Deprivation Study (Score:1)
i'm more interested in the Bud Light than the balloon.
and, for the non-americans ("don't drink that piss water, blah blah blah"), at least he had to urinate more, over your, pardon the pun, peon countries
One of the more quaint rules is... (Score:4, Interesting)
There was joke going around during the construction of Rutan's Voyager round-the-world-nonstop-nonrefueled plane, back in the mid 80's. Nothing was spared to reduce weight on that project, because every pound of additional structure required six or seven pounds of additional fuel, requiring more structure, and so on. Unfortunately, that philosophy turned the cockpit into a bit of a hellhole. The saying was, though, that any more than 48 hours of survival was excess design capacity; unneeded for the record attempt.
thad
Jacknuts in Chicago (Score:1)
Pointless Press Coverage (Score:2)
So, this guy is from Chicago. You can't imagine the amount of press coverage it has gotten here.
I feel for you, pal. I don't live anywhere near Chicago and I've already heard way too fucking much about this.
Most mass media outlets are billing this as one of the major stories of the day. Why? Does anyone really give a shit? I mean really, really care? How many of us really care about ballooning? How many of us know anything about ballooning? Why is this a major news story?
I hear a lot of people complaning that this guy should have used his money to help needy causes rather than attempt this record. I understand this frustration and disgust. However, it is his money after all and he's entitled to spend it however he likes. The thing that galls me is that the media fawns over him like he's accomplished some monumental achievement on behalf of the human race. Yeah, yeah, it's a record. So what? I don't hate this millionare. I hate the media for hyping him up as some kind of hero or celebrity.
The super rich will always find ways to amuse themselves with their money. That's fine. So why the hell is this a news story?
GMD
This Just In (Score:3, Funny)
What a great day for humanity.
Do something worthy (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Do something worthy (Score:1)
Re:Do something worthy (Score:1)
That's the difference between you and people like Bill Gates.
Re:Do something worthy (Score:1)
Re:Do something worthy (Score:1)
B) So, if this is the case, then I would say that you ARE morally superior to Bill Gates, woiuldn't you?
So of the above, which is wrong, A, B, or both?
Re:Do something worthy (Score:3, Insightful)
And you could sell your PC and give the money to the Peace Corps to buy a few dozen more bags of grain, but what do you spend it on? Asinine Slashdot posts.
Wealth is relative. You're ridiculously rich compared to the starving children you mention, and somehow I doubt you're lifting a finger to do much of anything about it. What you really mean is that you want him to spend his fabulous wealth on you and what you want, isn't it? Give all his money to the poor so you don't have to feel like you have to?
Re:Do something worthy (Score:1)
Re:Do something worthy (Score:1)
Re:Do something worthy (Score:3, Interesting)
I'll bet you I'm more tired of hearing from people who think they have the right to determine what other people should own. When it comes right down to it, you probably think that anyone who has more than you has too much. Nevermind that the person who signs (or will sign) your paychecks probably has a helluva lot more than you. Should we take what he has and give it away so you can be laid off?
The world is crawling with people who think you have too much and are perfectly willing to kill you in order to take it from you.
Re:Do something worthy (Score:1)
What do you think that money was spent on? (Score:5, Insightful)
It's like the space program -- people act as if the money is just shot into space and lost. It wasn't -- it is spent on the designers, builders, support crew.
Whether or not those people should have considered getting "real" jobs is another question which you seem to know the answer to. I personally would rather they got it than some jacknape too lazy to get off his ass and look for a job. And if it comes down to a spacecraft or balloon engineer or ground crew, vs someone equally deserving in some other country, I'd just as soon it went to the locals.
Re:Do something worthy (Score:1)
Re:Do something worthy (Score:1)
Re:Do something worthy (Score:1)
Re:Do something worthy (Score:1)
Re:Do something worthy (Score:1)
A better way (Score:2, Troll)
I bet it would be much easier to cross back onto the meridian from where you started near a pole. I'm sure its colder, but its cold up there anyhow.
One more record to go. (Score:1)
Congrats! (Score:2, Funny)
;)
I would bet (Score:1)
Yay for sponsors (Score:1)
Take it easy on Fossett (Score:3, Funny)
You have no idea how stressful and agonizing it is being a millionaire dilettante, having to indulge yourself constantly with testosterone and ego-enhancing 'sports' like yachting and ballooning.
Feel his pain.
Here are the "official rules" (Score:5, Informative)
http://www.fai.org/ballooning/rtw2-98.asp [fai.org]
There's lots of interesting info on their website at http://www.fai.org/ [fai.org]
It's a good read, if for no other reason than gaining the ability to drop "homologation" into your next conversation.
MOD PARENT UP (Score:1)
Re:MOD PARENT UP (Score:1)
layperson asking meterorologist (Score:2)
Re:layperson asking meterorologist (Score:2)
Anyway, I don't think that they'd only apply to surface winds, not winds aolft, as a baloon would encounter.
Re:layperson asking meterorologist (Score:2)
You're probably referring to the "doldrums" or "horse lattitudes".
Anyway, I think that they'd only apply to surface winds, not winds aolft, as a baloon would encounter.
Re:layperson asking meterorologist (Score:1)
(!)
Re:layperson asking meterorologist (Score:2)
I guess that makes 2 typos!
It should say "aloft" (not on the surface).
Book is called "On the Beach" (Score:1)
Yes, the book is Called "On the Beach".
Re:layperson asking meterorologist (Score:2)
The author is (as no-one has yet pointed out -- preen) Nevil Shute. (FWIW, he also wrote "A Town Like Alice", and several other books.) Chances are he had more than a passing knowledge about this sort of thing as he was an engineer who founded an aircraft manufacturing company.
Meteorologist replying... (Score:2)
It is well-known that near the equator and near the surface, the winds are generally light. But there is what's called the "Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone", an area of convergent winds. You can see that on a satellite picture [unisys.com] of the western Pacific (look at the bottom edge, near the equator, obviously...). The latitude of this zone varies by season, moving always toward the summer hemisphere. It is an important component in what is called the "Hadley cell", which is an important circulation since it carries a great deal of heat from the tropics to the mid-latitudes and helps explain the placement of the major deserts. A good discussion of the very general "General Circulation of Earth's Atmosphere" can be found here [usu.edu], however some of the more interesting "facts" in it are currently in debate (for example, the existence of the Ferrel cell... the Hadley cell is definitely there, though).
So, the tropics aren't totally wind-free and are actually quite important to what happens through the rest of the world. I believe that it's been calculated that the average residence time of an air parcel in any one hemisphere is about 2 to 4 years, meaning that most parcels travel between hemispheres decently frequently.
Other factors to include is what's called the "Quasi-Biennial Oscillation" or QBO. This is strictly a lower stratospheric phenomenon (30 hPa is a pressure with sea level around 1000 hPa... 30 hPa is somewhere around 30 km above sea level.)
For some info on the QBO, check out:
http://www.atmos.ucla.edu/~cwhung/qbo.html
http://tao.atmos.washington.edu/data_sets/qbo/
Hope this helps. In short, a balloonist could be able to cross the equator. But you'd want to avoid it since the equator is normally pretty stormy.
-Jellisky
Why Einstein's Head for an icon? (Score:2)
It's the least we can (collectively, I'm no artist) do.
My Dreams Come True! (Score:1)
(Stupid millionaires with nothing better to do with their money. Lord, some of us have to WORK - okay, fair enough, I'm playing at
Mark
He made it? (Score:1)
Adventurer?? (Score:2, Funny)
And Look! What kind of Bio is this for an "adventurer":
Fossett's other adventures have including swimming the English Channel, piloting a dog sled in the Iditarod race in Alaska, driving in the LeMans auto endurance race in France and finishing the Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii.
I see no Dragons! No Kobolds! Not even a little steenking goblin.
Heh, some adventurer he is.
-GiH
Come here, that I might BRAIN thee!
Re:Adventurer?? (Score:1)
big deal (Score:2)
This guy has done lots of other stuff too (Score:2, Informative)
To quote;
"Fossett's other adventures have including swimming the English Channel, piloting a dog sled in the Iditarod race in Alaska, driving in the LeMans auto endurance race in France and finishing the Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii."
yuk (Score:2)
I hate this kind of crap talk : it's stressing totally silly, useless details, buzwords and nonsense. A Black and white map with only the outline of the continents would have been just as clear.
And who says they didn't just scan it from a stupid $10 atlas from one of their kids ?
BAH
Even when he's having fun, a millionaire can't stop blabbering peptalk. Doesn't anyone else feel like puking on his fucking balloon ?
Adventurer? Bah! (Score:2)
For people not involved with FAI records: there are several classes based on aircraft type, engine type, task etc. A record would look something like "production single-engine land monoplane, less than 200 HP, fastest flight over a distance of 500 miles."
Around the Wrold? (Score:2)
Woopteedoo (Score:3, Funny)
It's a Hoax! (Score:2)
Only if "around the world"="around the south poll" (Score:2)
He's still flying, due to a lack of Latin (Score:3, Informative)
The print version of the story goes on to describe a safe landing was a large open area, dotted with a few trees to avoid dragging him around.
The catch ? He was planning on flying over the Nullarbor plain in Western Australia. Nullarbor is not Australain Aboriginal - it means "No Trees" in Latin for obvious reasons.
So they are going to skip that, stay south and will probably hit South Australia in a couple of hours, continuing to clock up the miles.
Re:did you see the flight path (Score:1)
@20,000 mile trip (Score:3, Informative)
Re:He's a Meatball (Score:1)
LOL
If he's an idiot, whats that make you? Or, did you
a) turn down all offers of wage raises
b) donate all salary increases to charity?
If you are not declining offers of money (implying you desire more money), and you are not a millionaire, then what does that make you, if he is an idiot AND a millionaire?
Re:Fatass Billionaire! (Score:1)
Even running a 2 minute mile means nothing, as anyone with appropriate genetics and training could do it, so whats the big deal right?
Basically, no accomplishment means anything, as anyone could do it under the proper circumstances.
Re:Is anyone else sick.. (Score:1)
Or did you mean that you could do it, provided someone gave you a multimillion dollar balloon and the training required to know how to do it? Yes, in that case I guess you ae right. Brain surgery is also no big deal, after all, you could do it too, provided you learned how to do it. Piece of cake really?
Tell me, is there anything anyone could do that would impress you outside of saving the world through opening up their source code?
Re:wow (Score:1)
Re:wow (Score:2, Informative)