Up Down Under, Fossett Breaks Distance Mark

Millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett, who has now broken his own record for distance in a balloon, floated over Australia on Saturday as he reached the halfway point in his attempt to be the first balloonist to circle the globe nonstop.

The Chicago financier flew over the small beach town of Geraldton, Australia, poking his head out of the gondola to view the last continent he’ll pass before heading across the Pacific Ocean toward South America.

“It’s certainly going well so far,” Fossett said in a conversation with mission control here. “Although I was very worried over the Indian Ocean that I would be caught and captured by the high-pressure area . . . and never be able to get out of it.”

His ground crew, many of whom are meteorologists, burst into applause upon learning that he had traveled 10,480 miles, breaking his own distance mark of 10,360 miles set in January 1997. This is Fossett’s fourth attempt at circumnavigation.

Fossett was about 800 miles into Australia at 1 p.m. PDT Saturday, moving at 138 mph over the Great Victorian Desert. He has traveled 13,245 miles so far.

Alan Blount, director of mission control at Washington University in St. Louis, said there was a concern Fossett would run out of oxygen before making it to South America.

But the balloonist is expected to have enough left to finish the quest, which is expected to take at least six more days and which includes a climb over the Andes.

To officially circle the globe, Fossett must land anywhere east of Mendoza, Argentina, where he lifted off Aug. 7.

Team members said it appears Fossett is using up oxygen faster than expected but likely has six to 10 days’ capacity left for the trip.

After resting earlier, Fossett determined that he has about 37% of his oxygen left.

Fossett still has farther to go before breaking the record for the longest-lasting flight. That record of nine days, 17 hours and 55 minutes was set in January by Swiss pilot Bertrand Piccard and his crew. Piccard’s round-the-world bid was abandoned when China refused to let him cross its airspace.

If Fossett is successful, he will win a $1-million prize offered by Anheuser-Busch. He plans to donate half the money to Washington University.