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A great AMERICAN........not much coverage

Discussion in 'Other Off Topic Forum' started by davel, Feb 28, 2005.

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  1. davel

    davel Guest

    #1 davel, Feb 28, 2005
    Im absolutely disgusted at all the major new agencies we get fed with here in the USA. A great AMERICAN launched today at 645pm central to challenge the skies.........alone.
    Read this link. I hope it provides inspiration, education and a sense of freedom and wonder. After reading this link please note that not ONE G-D----D TV news channel covered the beginning of this great endeavour live. NOT ONE. NOT FOX,CNN or MSNBC.
    PATHETIC.
    I know the world sucks and the world is at WAR and is full of disease etc etc etc. The pundits and broadcasters didnt have the time to cover for just a few minutes this event. SAD. Sad for us and our children who lack vision and courage and wonder at times.
    Hold it!!! CNN Headline news is NOW going to show something about it. He has been airborne for almost 2 hours. Alone to challenge the skies. I stand by my earlier rant. No excuse at all. Enjoy the link and at the bottom is a link to the Global Flyer home page. Live video and feeds from the cockpit will be avail. Dave

    http://www.virginatlanticglobalflyer.com/Home/index.jsp

    http://channels.netscape.com/ns/news/story.jsp?floc=FF-APO-PLS&idq=/ff/story/0001/20050228/2026038421.htm
     
  2. Spasso

    Spasso F1 World Champ

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    #2 Spasso, Feb 28, 2005
    More power to him. I wonder whether he will be able to cat nap on auto pilot or something. Although Dick Rutan had a co-pilot he still did most of the flying and was a wreck at the end from lack of sleep.

    Richard Branson is cool. Check out Virgin Galactic. Thats right, he's going into the private space travel business. I often thought as a kid that I would give anything to make it to outerspace. I never really thought it would be possible in my life time for the average (rich) guy to actually go up.

    I can't wait to see what happens in another 20 years or so.
     
  3. davel

    davel Guest

    #3 davel, Feb 28, 2005
    Hey Spasso! I will check out the Galatic. Love the name. I hope this flight goes well. Id kill to do this and be up there alone on the challenge in this very exotic aircraft. As Naval Flight Officer, Im with this guy all the way. Its amazing someone is taking this on.

    Branson is first class all the way!!

    Im sure his space flights will have good service as well :) Amazing to be alive right now and think that space travel is going to be come somewhat common for those with the $$ to afford it.
     
  4. MikeZ_NJ

    MikeZ_NJ Formula 3

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    #4 MikeZ_NJ, Feb 28, 2005
    I saw something on the flight this morning, though I forget what news website I found it on. Very cool!!!
     
  5. Texas Forever

    Texas Forever Eight Time F1 World Champ
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    #5 Texas Forever, Feb 28, 2005
    Hey Dave, I thought that you guys (and maybe a few gals) were AVIATORS!

    Anchors Away My Boys!
     
  6. Spasso

    Spasso F1 World Champ

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    #6 Spasso, Feb 28, 2005
    There is a commercial on TV once in a while, I can't remember the product or service but as part of the promotion the winner gets a free trip, as quoted by Branson in space suit and helmet,

    [size=+1] ".......come as my guest on Virgin Galactic."[/size]

    [size=+3]D@mn right I would!!!![/size]
     
  7. jahock

    jahock Karting

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    #7 jahock, Mar 1, 2005
    We are excited because the global flyer took off from and (hopefully) will land in Rob and my hometown-Salina, KS. In fact, one of our (Hocking family)fields is at the north end of the runway and an artist has created a crop-art version of da Vinci's glider sketch there.

    As far as the lack of media coverage, it's not for lack of news agencies at the launch. From what I hear, the town was "packed" with reporters..mind you, this is a town of 50,000 w/~800 hotel rooms so it's all relative.
     
  8. davel

    davel Guest

    #8 davel, Mar 1, 2005
    He Dr!! I do say that sometime too :) Sunny blue skies in Pcola today :)
     
  9. davel

    davel Guest

    #9 davel, Mar 1, 2005
    Too cool!!! Cant wait to see his landing and the coverage he will get then! Id love to be there to witness this, hopefully major achievement in aviation and for this group who has put this effort together!!!
     
  10. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator
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    #10 rob lay, Mar 1, 2005
  11. Fan512bbi

    Fan512bbi Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #11 Fan512bbi, Mar 1, 2005
    That live tracking is excellent.
     
  12. davel

    davel Guest

    #12 davel, Mar 1, 2005
    Amazing that all of us not matter where in the world and can witness and be part of this amazing history. Internet access is wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy cooooooooooooooool. Download the wallpaper from the Global Flyer website. Nice stuff!
     
  13. Fan512bbi

    Fan512bbi Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #13 Fan512bbi, Mar 1, 2005
    Just crossed the border and into Libya.
     
  14. davel

    davel Guest

    #14 davel, Mar 1, 2005
    Lots of countries not friendly to this type stuff a few years ago have opened up their airspace for this endeavor. Very cool to see that.
     
  15. Gilles27

    Gilles27 F1 World Champ

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    #15 Gilles27, Mar 1, 2005
    As a Chicagoan, I can tell you that people here have had their life's fill of Steve Fossett. Sure, all the power to him, but he's a wealthy adventurer who throws a pile of money at something like this just about every other year. I don't knock him for what he does--it's his cash and his to decide what to do with--but if he had his way the news would air a report every time he took a dump.
     
  16. davel

    davel Guest

    #16 davel, Mar 1, 2005
    Since you live where this guy might be I can understand your sentiments. Branson is footing the bill for this and Fossett has put himself on the line before. He is doing it now money not withstanding. He is alone without his millions or his family in a small cramped very light aircraft with one engine. Id do it if I could. He has my respect for this feat in aviation.
    It takes ego, money and some amount of courage and confidence to undertake anything like this.
    Ive been flying for 16 yrs. Im in awe of this and I have had the amazing experience flying in aircraft off of aircraft carriers day and nite etc. This takes alot of nerve to navigate the globe and I celebrate it. If you fly and really love it, this just sends goosebumps around your soul. I cant get enough of it. Finally another true non-military, pure aviation enevelope is being pushed. F---ing COOL!
     
  17. Fan512bbi

    Fan512bbi Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #17 Fan512bbi, Mar 2, 2005
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  18. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator
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    #18 rob lay, Mar 2, 2005
    Hasn't been reported on the site, but just released at our local Salina Journal Newspaper who is at Mission Control...

    More than 1 ton of fuel missing

    By STAFF REPORTER
    Salina Journal
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    GlobalFlyer has apparently lost more than a ton of fuel and as of Wednesday morning, flight officials questioned whether the plane will be able to complete its attempt at an around-the-world record.

    "I don't have a high level of confidence at this point," pilot Steve Fossett said in radio interview with mission control shortly after 8 a.m.

    However, if tailwinds for the second half of the flight continue as they did during the first half, there may be enough fuel, said Paul Moore, project manager.

    About 2,600 lbs of fuel apparently was lost during the first three and a half hours of the flight, Moore said. From the beginning, officials noticed a discrepancy between the amount of fuel indicated by sensors and the amount calculated on the basis of burn rates. Sensors showed less fuel than expected.

    That discrepancy disappeared after the first three and a half hours, leading officials to believe the problem centered on a full-tank condition. Because of the stress that comes from filling it full -- it holds 18,000 lbs of fuel -- the plane was never completely filled before this flight.

    Yesterday, officials reported GlobalFlyer was flying higher than expected. Today, they said that apparently was due to the loss of the fuel.
     
  19. Fan512bbi

    Fan512bbi Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #19 Fan512bbi, Mar 2, 2005
    That is bad news, makes it that much more exciting to watch though.
     
  20. davel

    davel Guest

    #20 davel, Mar 2, 2005
    Looks like he is going to make the final decision on whether to press on when he is over or near Hawaii. He needs some serious tail wind to help "make gas" to complete the flight. No matter what happends he has accomplished quite a bit already and as you stated 512 it does make it exciting :)
     
  21. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator
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    #21 rob lay, Mar 3, 2005
    He is just off the West coast and they think he has a good chance of making it now. Supposed to arrive in Salina about 1:30 PM CST.

    Their website is too busy now to get an image.
     
  22. Fan512bbi

    Fan512bbi Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #22 Fan512bbi, Mar 3, 2005
    Thats good news, cant find much about it on the British news.
     
  23. rob lay

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    #23 rob lay, Mar 3, 2005
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  24. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator
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    #24 rob lay, Mar 3, 2005
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  25. DMC

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    #25 DMC, Mar 3, 2005
    He landed.
     
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