Cleared for Takeoff

Meanwhile, in America, our crazy-cool lives go on:

Millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett was the first person to circle the globe solo in a hot-air balloon. Now, he wants to make the trip in a single-engine airplane without stopping – another aviation first.

Fossett, 60, hoped to take off in his GlobalFlyer on Monday afternoon at Salina Municipal Airport and land there again about 66 hours later. The 23,000-mile flight had already been postponed several times because of shifting jet stream patterns or weather at Salina.

“I’m a bit nervous about takeoff,” said Fossett, who has logged about 30 hours in the jet-powered aircraft. “I will be the ultimate test pilot. I have a lot to worry about. It’s a major endeavor.”

Godspeed.