SALINA, Kansas - After weeks of weather delays, all systems are go for a Monday takeoff of the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer, the experimental plane seeking to make the first solo, non-stop, non-refueled flight around the world, organizers said Sunday.
The GlobalFlyer, piloted by American adventurer Steve Fossett, is expected to lift off from a Salina airstrip between 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm (2100 GMT and 0000 GMT) on Monday, they told a press conference at mission control here.
"Leonardo DiCaprio may win the Oscar tonight, but tomorrow Steve will show who the real aviator is," said Sir Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Atlantic Airways, which is sponsoring the record-breaking attempt.
"It`s exciting times," Fossett said, adding that he was "a bit anxious" about the demands that will be placed on him as he pilots the delicate, light-bodied aircraft for close to 80 hours without rest.
"The airplane will change dramatically from the start, where it will be sluggish at its full weight, to where it becomes very light near the end," Fossett said. "I`ll have to make a lot of adjustments throughout the flight."
Takeoff will be quite nerve-wracking, Fossett said, because the plane has never been flown at its full weight and has been built with very little margin for complications like turbulence.
But despite the dangers, Fossett said he is determined to try to capture the "most important aviation records that have been left undone." "It`s worth the risk," he said.
The press briefing took place with the usual mix of Virgin aplomb. Branson responded to questions about potential search-and-rescue operations by taking the watch off his wrist -- which has a built-in emergency beacon -- and offering it to Fossett.
"I want it back, and you back, in one piece," Branson joked.
Fossett responded by saying, "it`d be nicer if it was gold."
The project brings together three giants of aviation and adventure.
Fossett, 60, has set dozens of world records and world firsts with jet airplanes and gliders, hot air balloons and sailing.
The former stock options trader became famous in the mid 1990s when he made an attempt with Branson to circumnavigate the globe in a hot air balloon. He managed the trip solo on his sixth attempt in the summer of 2002.
Branson has set a number of sailing and aviation records in his own right while promoting the Virgin brand. He will monitor Fossett`s progress from mission control in Salina.
The GlobalFlyer was designed by aviation legend Burt Rutan, who recently made headlines when his SpaceShipOne won the 10 million dollar "X Prize" for sending a privately-designed craft into space twice in two weeks.
Rutan also designed the Voyager, which was used by his brother Dick Rutan and Jeanne Yeager in 1986 to set a record of nine days for a non-stop, non-refueled flight around the world.
Fossett hopes to beat that record by making it in less than 80 hours, and by doing it on his own.
The 3,350-pound (1,522-kilogram) single engine aircraft will carry nearly 19,000 pounds (8,636 kilograms) of fuel in 13 tanks for the 23,000-mile (37,260-kilometer) journey at altitudes as high as 45,000 feet (13,000 meters).
Some of the major cities Fossett expects to pass above along the way are Chicago, Toronto, London, Paris, Rome, Cairo, Bahrain, Karachi, Calcutta, Shanghai, Tokyo, Honolulu and Los Angeles.
02/28/2005 02:00 GMT