Fossett: 'One of the most difficult flights ever'
SALINA, Kansas (CNN) -- Millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett began his attempt to complete the first solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the globe by powered aircraft on Monday evening. Fossett took off from Salina, Kansas, aboard the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer and he does not plan to stop until he gets back there.
Fossett and Virgin Atlantic President Sir Richard Branson spoke with CNN's Bill Hemmer about the journey before Fossett set off.
HEMMER: Sir Richard, what do conditions look like. Is today a go?
BRANSON: It looks like a go. I think Steve is just waiting for a final weather forecast. He seems to have ideal conditions for a takeoff. It's an enormous long runway here - about 10,000 feet, and a gentle head wind. All in all it is looking hopeful.
HEMMER: Steve, What kind of conditions do you need?
FOSSETT: I need good ground conditions, that is I can't have a tailwind, or it would lengthen the take off roll of the airplane. Then, I need no turbulence when I take off, because this airplane is very fragile when it is full of fuel. But once I get up to altitude, there should be less turbulence, and then I'm just looking for good winds all the rest of the way around the world.
HEMMER: The press release calls this the last great aviation record of our time. Sir Richard, is that hyperbole? Or what makes it so?
BRANSON: I think just to put it in perspective. If you go back, the Atlantic was crossed by Lindbergh and then Amelia Earhart did the Pacific. Nobody has managed to fly solo, nonstop around the world. As far as earth is concerned, I think it is the last great aviation record. I think there are a number of people now, including ourselves, who are looking at space. And I think it will be many, many battles for records to take people into space in future years. But as far as Earth is concerned this is the big one.
HEMMER: Steve, you need endurance, you need luck, you need the right conditions. Are those the three components needed to make this happen?
FOSSETT: I'd like all three of those. And yes, it is an endurance feat to be flying for - I'm estimating - 65 hours. It's going to be perhaps one of the most difficult flights ever. We are going to have to have very careful planning, and I hope we are not relying too much on luck.
HEMMER: Why do you say the most difficult ever?
FOSSETT: Flying solo puts all the responsibilities on me. As far as flying the air plane...navigation and communication. It's a very heavy workload for a very sustained period of time -- almost three days.
HEMMER: Sir Richard, one final question, to those of us outside of the aviation world, if this flight is successful, what will this flight prove?
BRANSON: I think with my Virgin Atlantic hat on, and an environmental hat on, hopefully, it will be the precursor of large planes which are built of light composites -- which this plane is built of -- very fuel efficient, for the future. And so out of record breaking attempts like this can come positive things for mankind for the future.
HEMMER: Why Salina, Kansas?
FOSSETT: Salina Kansas? Excellent runway. They just repaved it last summer, so it is smooth and flat for my take off. Then the community -- they got behind this project -- Kansas State University and provided us all the help that I needed.
BRANSON: Hopefully everyone will know now it is Salina.
HEMMER: Sir Richard, you're following in a chase plane. Are you making a documentary, or how will you use that film?
BRANSON: The discovery channel is making a documentary, so that is something which can be shared with everybody, obviously we will have people following it on the Internet, and I'm sure through CNN. It will certainly be an interesting three days watching Steve and his voyage.
