This February proved to be one for the record books. Dr. Bill Bussey of Longview, Texas launched from Chanute, Kansas a little after four in the morning and landed that afternoon near Savannah, Georgia before he ran out of dry land. His unofficial distance of 892 miles shattered his old AX- 6 distance world record and set new world records up through AX-9. The Flight of SkyQuest 5 begins on page 28.
The most amazing record flight, however, lifted off Friday, February 17, when a 150,000 cubic foot Cameron Roziere balloon rose out of Olympic Stadium, Seoul, South Korea. Basked in flood lights, the balloon ascends into the darkness. Aboard was Steve Fossett of Chicago, Illinois. His plan: to become the first person to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean by balloon.
The Pacific had only been crossed twice before successfully: Double Eagle V with Ben Abruzzo, Larry Newman, Rocky Aoki, and Ron Clark in November 1982, using a Yost built gas balloon, and Per Lindstrand with Richard Branson in January 1991 using a Thunder & Colt built hot air balloon. In two attempts to fly solo across the Pacific, in 1989 and 1991, Fumio Niwa had to ditch his balloon both times. He lost his life in the second attempt.
Soon after launch, both of Fossett’s cabin heaters failed. With temperatures at night below zero he had only his sleeping bag to help keep him warm. To keep his drinking water from freezing he found it necessary to keep the bottle next to his body. For the next four days Fossett caught 45 minute cat naps as he flew his balloon across the Pacific, his only help from an autopilot designed by Bruce Comstock.
On Tuesday morning, February 21, at 8:20 a.m. PST Fossett crossed the coast line of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. He had successfully made the first solo crossing of the Pacific Ocean. Having completed his primary goal he flew on to establish a new absolute distance record for balloons.
Later in the day he crossed an imaginary line between Southampton Island, located in northern Hudson Bay, and Astoria, Oregon to surpass the distance record established by Double Eagle V. As the sun set, Fossett, tired and happy, set his craft down in a field near Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada. The unofficial distance was 5,430 miles.
The first question that a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reporter asked Fossett as he emerged from his gondola, "How do you feel?"
"Pretty good," replied Fossett. He went on to elaborate, "It was more difficult than most balloon flights, I think, partly because my heaters had failed, so I had quite a cold trip. And then I was sorting out a lot of problems with new equipment."
During the flight Fossett gathered scientific data on El Niño for a college in Chicago. The scientists are looking forward to getting their hands on the information.
The flight, which is reported to have cost $250,000, was financed primarily by Fossett himself. Balloon Life will have a report on Fossett and his amazing flight next month.
