One man, one plane, one world
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He covered a total distance of 26,389.3 miles (42,223 km) done in 76 hours and 45 minutes (nearly three days and five hours continuously).
Steve took off from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida at 6:22 a.m. local time on February 8, and originally was to have landed his plane - "Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer" - at Kent International Airport, England, around 7 p.m. local time on February 11.
However, his flight ran into trouble just one day after he was airborne when it lost 340 kilograms of fuel, wiping out all or most of the spare fuel he was expected to have left at the end of a successful bid.
That forced him to slow down and make route alterations in order to take maximum advantage of jet stream winds. Fossett hasn't only had the fuel leak to contend with. Takeoff was longer than expected and two birds hit the plane.
The cabin then overheated, remaining over 41 degrees centigrade for eight hours, peaking at 45 degrees centigrade. Over India, the turbulence was so strong, Fossett put on his parachute and prepared to bail out of the plane.
The Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer experienced a large scale electrical malfunction just as Steve was preparing for his 40,000 feet descent into Kent International Airport.
After Steve issued his Mayday call, communication with Mission Control reinforced his concern that he would not be able to land in Kent and said he would have to seek alternative options by either landing in Cardiff or Bournemouth.
Having landed in Bournemouth Airport in the past and knowing it was downwind, Steve opted to attempt his landing there. However, Steve's landing was further complicated by a lack of visibility after ice had covered the cockpit window.
With less than 100 kg of fuel left and with an aircraft in major electrical malfunction, Steve was not able to fly around and wait for the ice to disappear. He had to land immediately, even if this meant navigating the plane while virtually blind.
As the plane hit the ground at 5:07 on Saturday, two tyres burst making the landing even more dangerous than before.
Steve said: "It was too exciting of a finish." Craig Glenday, the editor of Guinness World Records, was present to award Steve with his certificate for breaking the record for the Longest Non Stop Flight.
The Global Flyer has a wingspan of 35 meters. The fuel and landing gear are stored in twin fuselages on either side of the cabin. The jet engine is above and just behind the cockpit.
The structure of the craft is made from graphite and epoxy, and weighs 1800 kilos when empty. The Global Flyer's design enables it to glide for about 300 kilometres should it run out of fuel.
Steve Fossett is one of the world's most accomplished adventurers. Whether climbing mountains, swimming the English Channel or adding onto the 109 world records he's already set in the past, Steve certainly isn't afraid of a challenge.
His highlights include:
* Feb. 17-21, 1995: First solo balloon flight across the Pacific Ocean.
* Jan. 8-11, 1996: First solo round-the-world balloon attempt.
* June 19-July 4, 2002: First successful solo balloon flight around the world.
* Feb. 7-April 5, 2004: Breaks the round-the-world sailing record by six days (58 days, nine hours, 32 minutes and 45 seconds).
* Feb. 28-March 3, 2005: First solo, non-stop flight around the world in an airplane.
* Feb. 8-11, 2006: Longest non-stop flight around the world by an aircraft
Steve keeps up with different activities to maintain his fitness, although he does not have a particular routine to prepare for the Ultimate Flight. "It's not a normal sport where you have to do specific training," he says.
"What's important is to keep healthy and in good condition." Some of the ways he does this is by going cross country skiing up the ski mountain near his home in Colorado.
Many people may wonder what motivates Steve to pursue such extreme feats which require exceptional amounts of skill and endurance. For Steve however, it is simple.
"I mainly do these things for my personal satisfaction," he says. "I thoroughly enjoy what I'm doing so I don't plan on stopping. I'll always find various things to do."
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