CLOSED - THANKS to all customers for the last few years

Well the news on global flyer is much much better now, it looks as though they will succeed, the aircraft has now crossed the Pacific and has just passes Los Angeles. They have about 2 hours to go to make the airport in Salina. The tail winds across the pacific were good and in addition they reduced the speed of the aircraft and therefore its fuel burn and it looks as though they have enough.

Steve Fossett the pilot is a remarkable man who made his money as a trader, he holds a large number of records including non stop balloon flights and sailing records.

Well I hope they do, it's a lot of 'investment' of all types
to get a project like that off the ground.

Some interesting stats from the globalflyer website which help explain why its so hard to get onto it !

NASA reporting 1 million hits per hour being served from their image snapshot server. They have upgraded their web infrastructure to a cluster of Cray SuperComputers.
- 80 Megabits of data currently being served per second from the GlobalFlyer website

Well you couldn't complain about that level of 'service'
now could you - wonder if we could get that good in the coffee
house kitchens! ;>)

I hope they make it too. But it's a shame that the first I heard about this was in Lamby's Lair for Lounge Lizards. You couldn't move for wall-to-wall Beagle coverage. I wonder if there is an element of it being an American venture that means it doesn't get much coverage in the UK media?

Gingerbread is on the cooling rack and lots of fresh, French butter in the dish.

Fresh pot of tea, anybody?

Tea would be good Priscilla - thanks :>)

Tea and gingerbread, fantastic.

Yes Priscilla, the only reason I come to Lamby's Lair
is to be educated!!!!!! LOL

Actually, if you watch Children's Newsround, GlobalFlyer made it on to
that too, so you can see I have a vast range of intellectual points of
contact :-))

P and JJ, Yes I am surprised it hasnt had more coverage, although the designers, builders and pilot are Americans, Richard Branson has paid a lot of the bills. He was "Reserve Pilot" but I dont think there was ever any chance of him flying it.

I like Branson, he's a good guy, does quite a lot that isn't always
publicised, has helped a lot of small businesses too apparently get off
the ground with investment. A true adventurer as well and always it seems
happy to back other true adventurers. I bet he would have loved the
chance though to fly it!!
:>)

How's he' getting on then, Spacie? When is he expected to 'cross the line' or 'land' as us techies would say?

Bunny, I agree we need more people like him but Steve Fossett is a much greater adventurer, I think global flyer would have been much to hard for Richard to fly.

P, Global Flyer is now over Colorado and is due to land at about 1915GMT in Kansas, they are flying slower to save fuel, their airspeed is now about 215knots and they were going about 350knots earlier in the flight.

Hello.

I like childrens new round too.
I wouldn't mind some of that tea and gingerbread, if there's any left.

snoball
Let's make a fresh pot of tea, you can have the gingerbread I'll go with chocolate digestives.

Ooops! Seem to have drifted off. Mmmmmm...cold tea!

Well Steve Fossett and Global Flyer made it, well done to all involved ...


Mission Status: 19:50UTC - 13:50 local time - Steve has just touched down at Salina after successfully completing the fastest, non-stop, non-refuelled flight around the world.



Here is a link to a page listing Steve Fossetts records, I guess it helps having a bit of cash..... but I think he is a bit special.

http://www.stevefossett.com/html/main_pages/records.html

Hope my nag is as successful otherwise its orf to Fossetts Circus!

LW, he made his money trading options.. there is hope for us yet ;-)

Come on willie,big up for fosset,even though he`s a tommy tank,,come on sweet revenge !!

Quick drink and out of here.

Been such a busy few days, I've not even popped by this week! Market going wild, which is fine by me!!!

;-))