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New Aviation Speed Record for American Adventurer
By Fossett Challenges 16 Feb 2000 18:49
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Fossett Flies Faster!
New ‘Round the World Speed Record for American Adventurer
Route: Los Angeles-Bermuda-Agadir-Luxor-Calcutta-Nagasaki-Midway-Los Angeles
Total Time: 41 hours 13 minutes 11 seconds
Average Speed: 559 mph / 894.4 kph
Just over 41 hours after taking off on Monday, Steve Fossett (USA, 55) and his co-pilots Darrin Adkins (USA, 34) and Alex Tai (GB, 33) touched down at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Fossett’s Citation X twin engine business jet, breaking the previous (1988) medium weight airplane record of Edgar Kaiser (Hawker 800 Vancouver, BC - Vancouver, BC) by some 6 hours - and 70 mph (112 kph).
Fossett - a multiple world record holder as balloonist, yachtsman and aviator - was ecstatic as the aircraft gave up its tired crew: " This was a great thrill - to fly this fast - it was the ultimate tour. The stopovers were pretty quick, though! Our fastest pitstop was at Midway where we were only 18 minutes 44 seconds from touchdown to wheels up - including the 10 minutes it took to take on 1600 gallons of fuel.
We landed at Midway just before midnight - and you could see the colony of over 800,000 nesting pairs of albatross - just an expanse on either side of the runway".
The new record awaits final certification by the FAI (Federation Aeronatique Internationale) of Lausanne, Switzerland and the NAA (National Aeronautical Association) of Arlington, Virginia whose official observer Mike Pablo accompanied the crew. NAA spokesman Art Greenfield added: "This is an exceptional new record - a really substantial increase. Our congratulations go out to Steve and crew and we are pleased to bring this record back to the USA."
The previous best record for a medium weight airplane was set by Edgar Kaiser in 1988 from Vancouver BC in a Hawker 800 (47 hrs 43 mins 26 secs) at 490 mph (790 kph). The heavy airplane record is held by the Air France Concorde supersonic airliner and stands at 811.46 mph (1305 kph).
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