Round-the-World Flights

First Solo Non-Stop Round-the-World Balloon Flight (#1)

Page 9c (rev: 1002)

Steve Fossett	Fossett's Autograph	In Gondola	Spirit of Freedom	Flown Cover

	The attempt to circumnavigate the globe solo in a hot-air balloon was one of aviation's
last unaccomplished feats.  But Steve Fossett did it!  He has become the first solo balloonist 
to fly around the world.

	It happened on his sixth attempt.  He launched his "Spirit of Freedom" from Northam, 
Western Australia on June 19, 2002 and landed on July 4, 2002 smoothly near Lake Yamma Yamma 
(dry lake) in the east Australian 0utback, 725 miles northwest of Sydney.  His journey, 
sponsored by Bud Light (Beer) took 14 days, 19 hours and 51 minutes to travel 20,602 miles 
round-the-world.  The Spirit of Freedom balloon was forty-two meters tall and was filled with 
a combination of helium and hot air. Fossett rode in a gondola that was a little more than two 
meters long underneath the large balloon. This gondola capsule was not pressurized, forcing 
him to use oxygen much of the time. He was able to sleep only about four hours each day, 
usually only forty-five minutes at a time. 

	After landing Fossett said, "This was my most important objective in ballooning to 
complete the first solo round-the-world balloon flight. I feel a tremendous sense of 
satisfaction. I've worked towards this goal for ten years, this is the reason I took up 
ballooning." This aviation milestone will enter the record books forever. Fossett signed a
few aerograms documenting his successful solo round-the-world balloon flight.

	Fossett donated the gondola of his balloon to the Smithsonian's National Air and Space 
Museum in Washington, D.C. Several years later in February/March, 2005 Steve would fly a jet 
powered aircraft round-the-world non-stop without refueling.  

One Man, One Balloon, One World!  Steve Fossett, Spirit of Freedom, Round-the-World!

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