Finding Fossett
Wednesday, September 5th, 2007As I write this, search and rescue crews are back out in a six-mile area of Nevada looking for millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett.
The 63-year-old daredevil hasn’t been heard from since Monday when he took off in a single-engine plane alone and without filing a flight plan. Friends say that if anyone could survive a problem with a plane it’s Fossett. He has a lot of experience with planes and other flying machines. After all, this is the man who set records for flying around the world solo in a balloon and for flying a plane solo around the world without refuelling. He has also flown further than anyone in history.
Fossett has also set sailing and gliding records and his friend and fellow wealthy stunt-adventurer-friend Sir Richard Branson says Fossett was flying over Nevada to look for a stretch of real estate upon which he could try to break the world land-speed record.
Whether you think he’s brave or crazy or a bit of both the world needs a Steve Fossett. Dreamers and risk-takers are like art; they may not always change the world but they’re pretty cool to witness. In Fossett’s case, he’s actually making history with the many records he has broken. I hope he’s sitting patiently somewhere in Nevada, waiting to be found so he can get back to doing what he does best: giving us something to grin and shake our heads about.
