Fuelled by milkshakes, Fosset makes history alone

The flight marked the second major privately funded aerospace event since the fall with a Rutan design. In October Rutan’s SpaceShipOne rocket soared into the edge of space on a suborbital flight and back with a single pilot, claiming a $10-million prize. By contrast, Fossett’s round-the-world solo flight was done for the technological and human endurance challenge, with no prize money involved.

In recent decades most aviation records have been set by commercial aircraft or government-funded space missions. Aviation enthusiasts applauded Fossett’s exploit as a reminder of the early days of flight when adventurous pilots frequently broke records, became instant celebrities and drew front-page newspaper headlines and massive crowds.

In Fossett’s case, much of the town of Salina, from where he took off on Monday, showed up at the airport to welcome him, including a high school marching band and several people holding up signs: ‘‘Go Go GlobalFlyer!’’

Salina was chosen mainly because its runway is one of the longest in the Midwest, and because it allowed Fossett to spend the last segment of his mission over land. To break the world record, Fossett had to fly the craft more than 22,858 miles, or the same circumference as the Tropic of Cancer, and pass a dozen waypoints.

During the flight, Fossett kept to drinking protein milkshakes, which minimized bowel movements while providing nutrition. He also took half a dozen catnaps of about one to three minutes. —Los Angeles Times/Lat-WP