Sixth time is the charm!

Flight Journal, Oct 2002 by Pace, Steve

A significant aviation milestone was reached on July 2, 2002, when Steve Fossett became the first balloonist ever to fly solo around the world. After launching from Northam Aerodrome in Northam, Australia, on June 19, 2002, 58-year old Fossett completed his amazing feat in the 180-foot-high (55 meters) Bud Light Spirit of Freedom-a combination helium/hot air Rosiere-type balloon-after traveling more than 19,400 miles (31,221.2 kilometers) around the Earth's southern hemisphere.

He hit a top speed of 174mph (280 kilometers per hour) at an altitude of more than 34,000 feet (10,363.2 meters). This was his sixth attempt; in 1998, he established a world-record solo balloon flight of 14,235.3 miles (22,909.53 kilometers) before having to make an emergency splashdown in the Coral Sea after plummeting 29,000 feet (8,839.2 meters). Fossett's historic flight had taken 13 days, 12 hours, 16 minutes, 13 seconds to complete when he crossed his "starting line" at a latitude of 38 degrees 45.95' south and a longitude of 16 degrees 42.16' east south of Northam in Western Australia at 9:53:13 EDT. At the time of his arrival, he had traveled 19,428.04 miles (31,266.4 kilometers), and his speed and altitude were 60.08mph (96.7 kilometers per hour) and 27,000 feet (8,229.6 meters), respectively. Stiff winds forced him to fly on for more than 33 more hours before he was at last able to make a rough, but safe, landing in the Australian outback at 6:18 p.m. EDT on July 3, 2002. His total air mileage was 21,109.9 miles (33,971.6 kilometers) and his total flight time was 24 days, 19 hours, 57 minutes and 50 seconds. -Steve Pace