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The search continues today for extreme sporting adventurer and former Chicago options trader Steve Fossett, who has been missing since Monday. Fossett was visiting the Flying M Ranch near Yerington, Nev., scouting for dry lake beds that could be used for breaking a land-speed record. He was piloting a Single Engine Bellanca Citabria Super Decathlon, a two-seat aerobatic plane, for his reconnaissance flight. The aircraft had over five hours of fuel on board when it departed the ranch around 9 a.m. on Monday. The plane did not return by early afternoon, and several hours later the search began.
Major Cynthia Ryan of the Nevada Civil Air Patrol explained the difficulties of the search. "It is a very large haystack, and an airplane is a very small needle, no doubt about it." More than 10 planes have been conducting a grid search of over 7,500 square miles with a concentration on a 600-square-mile area. As of this morning the search has not resulted in any leads.
Steve Fossett is best known for two of his aviation-related adventures. He became the first person to fly around the world in a balloon in 2002. Just three years later he set another world record as the first person to fly around world in a plane without refueling. His adventures have not been limited to the air; according to his website, Fossett "has set 115 new world records or world firsts, holding current official World Records in 5 sports."
Sir Richard Branson, who has sponsored many of Fossett's adventures, is still holding out hope, mentioning that that Fossett is "a tough old boot, I suspect he is waiting by his plane right now for someone to pick him up." The search mission continues and is still being classified as a rescue mission.
Photo from SteveFossett.com.
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Isn't he from St. Louis?
He has been based in Chicago for many years.
The first thing I thought when I heard this news was that he had committed suicide. The emergency beacon was not activated, which it should have been automatically if he had crashed. I could only think that he disabled it before takeoff so he wouldn't be found.
Perhaps suicide is a weird thought about this egomaniac, but I honestly wonder if the emptiness of the thrills he kept seeking finally caught up with him.
The ELT not being detected is not all that unusual actually. Chicagoist talked to MidwaySix(capblog.typepad.com), a local Civil Air Patrol Member about effectiveness of ELTs. MidwaySix said "The Electronic Locator Transmitter (ELT) activation rates vary from any where between as low as 25% to as high as 83% depending on the model of transmitter."
Additionally, he commented that "Civil Air Patrol aircraft are equipped to detect the signal from very long distances. Aircraft ELTs can be detected by satellites in orbit. (SARSAT) But that signal can only travel across line-of-sight. So rugged terrain, like a canyon or a ravine, can block the signal. If the antenna gets snapped off during a crash, the signal would be severely degraded."
Interesting. Thanks for the info. Still, I couldn't shake that feeling. I wonder if he will be found. The search looks daunting.
Thank God "Ferdy" was the one throwing out the "i can't shake the feeling that Fosset killed himself because thrill-seeking is an empty, soul-killing pastime."
Not that you're wrong, or right, Ferdy, but imagine if Alicia had written that in a post!
Imagine what? What lurid scenario do you have in mind?
The kind of thrill-seeking and record-mongering Steve Fawcett has pursued with his millions is emblematic of all the people with more money than sense. The idiots with laughable climbing experience who pay guides to take them up Mt. Everest fall into this category. Taking their money to show they can do something others can't. Tell me flying solo in a balloon around the world adds anything but a line in the Guinness Book and a couple of meaningless trophies to your life. The fact that he kept pursuing records after this feat was accomplished just shows me his ego is both oversized and puny.
So this dumbass decides to pull this stupid feat (really, is there a purpose?) and now we have to waste tax dollars looking for him? Fantastic.
Ferdy, perhaps his time would've been better spent protesing Macy's decission to purchase Fields or he could have coordinated with the "Free Fields leadership committee" and flown a group of protestors to the Island that Fields is now retired too to Protest him/Fields for selling his store to Macy's?
hey ferdy-
are you aware of the big macy's protest this sunday at 111 state? i am definitely thinking about going!
CURSE YOU MACYS
How is flying around the world in a balloon or climbing Everest any less fulfilling than 90 percent of the stupid stuff Chicagoistas do to find fulfillment? Is he somehow empty inside simply because he doesn't sit around listening to Lollapalooza bands and drinking independent beers?
I guess it only goes to show how closed-minded Chicago people are, thinking that anyone who goes out and does something is living a meaningless life. I guess the only meaning is in Wicker Park bars on a Saturday night.
8-10: Go f__k yourselves.
11: Grow some balls. Learn to spell F-U-C-K.