april september american businessman record setting aviator sailor person fly solo nonstop world balloon fortune financial services industry best known world records including nonstop earth long distance solo sailor solo flight fixed wing aircraft pilot fellow set records different sports stood time death disappeared september flying light aircraft nevada california extensive searches proved unsuccessful declared legally dead february following year september found identification cards sierra nevada mountains california leading shortly discovery plane wreckage remains large bones presumably scattered wild animals found half mile crash site early years born jackson tennessee grew california graduated interest adventure began early grew climbing mountains california beginning years old climbed mountain kept going taking diverse projects said natural gift athletics team sports focused activities required persistence endurance father encouraged pursue types adventures encouraged involved early active member troop orange california age earned highest rank member honor society served lodge chief worked ranger new_mexico summer said scouting important activity youth college stanford_university known alpha fraternity brothers convinced swim raise banner read beat wall prison closed years previously swim thwarted security guard arrived stanford student body officer served president clubs graduated stanford degree economics spent following summer europe climbing mountains swimming dardanelles business career received missouri later longtime member job business school served consultant later accepted job later said years business career distracted computer systems interested financial markets successful salesman chicago proved highly successful producer commission revenue firm began working assigned permitted market services firm phone floor exchange began process eventually produced enduring prosperity renting exchange floor traders years working companies founded firms millions renting exchange founded trading purpose early 1980s founded extended successful formula new_york stock exchanges earned millions renting floor trading privileges exchange hopeful new floor traders pay clearing fees clearing firms proportion trading activity renting trading volume rented larger clearing firm chicago exchange replicated business plan exchanges united_states london later use revenues finance adventures said floor trader aggressive worked hard traits help adventure sports said participate interesting things college time exchange related activities period time wasn working living frustrated finally mind start getting things began weeks year spend time sports moved colorado later sold business interests maintained office chicago personal life married née originally missouri children homes colorado chicago vacation home california known united_kingdom friendship sponsored adventures records overview known world records adventures balloons powered aircraft aviator exceptional breadth experience wanted person achieve solo balloon flight world finally succeeding sixth attempt person complete solo world kind aircraft set pilot open records including return triangle longest straight distance flights achievements jet pilot citation include records round world westbound non flights prior aviation records pilot held world records class aircraft held classes solo nonstop world airplane hours single engine jet aircraft globe nonstop hours minutes setting record longest flight aircraft history distance statute miles set aviation world records ratified stand plus sailing world records ratified august set world altitude record argentina metres management sponsorship majority projects handled based sports marketing agency driven balloon pilot february landed canada taking south_korea person solo flight pacific_ocean balloon person fly world nonstop kind aircraft launched story high balloon spirit freedom western_australia june returned australia july subsequently landing queensland duration distance solo balloon flight days hours minutes days hours minutes landing statute miles balloon dragged ground minutes end flight control center mission hall speed flight miles hour indian_ocean capsule survived landing taken washington displayed trip set number records fastest miles hour breaking previous record miles hour fastest world days longest distance flown solo balloon miles hour balloon distance miles july financed previous tries successful record setting flight sponsored end actually money balloon flights bought insurance policy pay million succeeded flight sponsorship meant end spend money initial expenses sailor world accomplished sailors speed sailing specialty dominated record sheets setting official world records distance race records recognized world accomplished speed sailor maxi named playstation twice set prestigious hour record sailing october crew set record days hours shattering previous record hours minutes increase average speed nearly seven knots early set world sailing record days hours crew held world record crossing pacific_ocean foot playstation accomplished fourth try time death submarine challenger construction let solo reach challenger deep pilot set absolute world speed record october new record fastest flight accomplished recorded average speed knots mph previous record knots mph set virgin pilots world licensed fly fixed wing aircraft pilot solo nonstop fixed wing aircraft flight world february march took kansas assisted faculty members students flew eastbound prevailing winds returning hours minute seconds making intermediate landings average speed mph absolute world record speed world nonstop non aircraft carbon fiber reinforced plastic airframe single engine designed built company long distance solo flight fuel fraction weight fuel divided weight aircraft percent february set absolute world record distance landing flying kennedy space center florida world eastbound returning florida continuing atlantic second time land england official distance statute miles duration hours minutes month flight world order break absolute record distance closed circuit landing takeoff landing airport took kansas march returned march flying statute miles seven absolute world records fixed wing aircraft recognized broke records previously held flight voyager contributed permanent collection display center flew plane center plane door aircraft records set fixed wing aircraft records day february pilot flew citation jet san_diego california charleston south_carolina hours minutes seconds average speed mph smash record non jets returned san_diego flew course pilot fellow time hours minutes seconds average speed mph broke previous record held set east west record non fixed wing aircraft september flew jacksonville florida san_diego california hours minutes average speed mph flight enactment july pilot recreated nonstop crossing atlantic british team june flight newfoundland canada ireland open cockpit replica took hours minutes hours flown instrument flight conditions airport landed 8th golf links records team set official world records flying major locations new_zealand argentina nevada united_states indicates records subsequently broken pilots distance free world record december triangle distance free world record december return distance free world record november kilometer triangle world record mph december kilometer triangle national record mph exceeded world record july kilometer triangle world record mph july kilometer triangle world record mph november return world record mph december return world record mph november triangle distance declared world record december return distance declared world record november pilot flew august flight set absolute altitude record metres cockpit pilots wore pressure suits similar space suits able fly altitudes feet previous attempts countries period years finally succeeding record flight endeavor known cross country skiing young participants series cross country ski world little experience group citizen athletes participate series debut eighth complete long distance races earning set cross country skiing records colorado setting record min february eagle record min february mountain climbing lifelong mountain climbed highest peaks seven continents 1980s friends attempting climb highest peaks seven continents seven world record achieved accompanied peaks including antarctica oceania europe went climb seven peaks declined climb later returned antarctica climb accomplishments competed completed premier endurance sports events including mile trail dog race finished 47th second try training years person swim fourth try september time hours minutes said good swimmer varsity swim team found swim long periods competed hawaii finishing trail mile colorado involves running elevations feet rocky_mountains raced cars mid-1970s later returned sport 1990s competed hours road race paris previous attempts records tried times seven years solo balloon fifth attempt cost million money sixth successful attempt commercially sponsored attempts launched missouri served control center flights including record breaking unsuccessful attempts record ended mile coast australia nearly killed waited hours rescued cost attempt began ended outside new_brunswick miles later second attempt launched cost lasted miles downed halfway tree india trip set records time duration distance flight doubling previous record called solo spirit spirit slept average hours night day journey conducted zero temperatures taking fuel cross atlantic_ocean libya hours officials decided allow fuel finish flight year flew farther money better financed expeditions including supported ability fly capsule result heavy physical training high altitudes solo spirit capsule display apollo command module scouting grew california earned eagle scout award credited experience scouting foundation later success scout learned set goals achieve said scout taught leadership young age opportunities leader scouting values remained life business career new challenges later years described legend fellow scouts national volunteer served chairman northern tier high adventure committee chairman member member later member succeeded secretary defense president previously served honored distinguished eagle scout award received highest recognition service youth awards honors received aviation highest award gold medal july inducted presented ceremony inducted february named america year oldest recipient award year history recipient fly ceremony plane received explorers medal following solo balloon given received given annually world outstanding aviator received received order scaled white knight spirit named honor friend following disappearance accepted behalf spreading wings gala wings denver colorado death disappearance search morning monday september labor day took single engine light aircraft private near nevada failing return searches launched hours later aircraft tail number registered signal plane emergency designed automatically activated event crash older type notorious failing operate crash thought wearing emergency watch manually operated range miles signal received september wife issued statement owned watch wearing took labor day flight took fuel hours flight according spokesperson major public information officer cap cap told gone short flight favorite territory possibly including areas point suggested scouting potential sites conduct planned land speed run spokesperson noted apparently file flight plan required second day aircraft searched found trace wreckage initiating complex expanding search later evolve nearly square miles km2 area rugged terrain north_america search presented severe challenge standpoint safely flying hundreds hours difficult conditions day cap searching operations suspended mid day high winds according ryan fourth day cap fourteen aircraft search effort including equipped archer system automatically scan detailed imaging given signature missing aircraft september search crews found previously crash sites decades old related disappearance urgency regarded rescue mission meant minimal immediate effort identify aircraft crash sites speculated belonged missing told dozen aircraft involved massive search operating primary search base nevada secondary search base located bishop california cap came wings united_states including nevada utah california arizona new_mexico idaho oregon pennsylvania texas september helped search aviator connections contractors provide satellite imagery software british friend said coordinating efforts google high resolution images include aircraft september series new high resolution imagery available beta website users flag potential areas interest searching known september people joined effort square foot squares imagery amazon believed september entire search area covered amazon search effort shut week october success major later said help said persons seen aircraft mechanical special knowledge email critical days search months afterward sightings proved images cap aircraft flying search simply mistaken artifacts old images flooded search base predictions aviator found ryan got majority calls personally home middle night man canada particularly persistent daily calls ryan interfering press ryan asked incident commander issue cease order backed necessary ryan noted message letter phone taken seriously specialists assigned task reviewing regard apparent retrospect effort ready prime time according ryan september survival experts speculated likely dead september said flights connection search operations national_guard search flights private search flights ground searches continued began preliminary investigation likely crash plane flying preliminary report originally stated presumed fatally injured aircraft substantially damaged subsequently revised remove assumption friend fellow explorer sir similar public statements september authorities confirmed stop actively looking air crews standby fly possible crash sites giving man said department spokesman search going continue going scaled said september announced analysis radar data day disappearance ground teams aircraft resumed search october announced called search operation ryan later noted search largest complex peacetime search individual history august year went missing friends conducted foot search based new clues gathered team search concluded september search rescue costs attributed governor spokesman governor decision direct state charge family expense search later played early report told nevada intend demand payment widow payment voluntary going request help offset expenses considering scope search overall cost ongoing budget difficulties ranch departed day went missing previously volunteered help pay search costs later comments denied outright bill family prepared said probably form letter indicated include financial outline steps taken state associated costs mention state ongoing budget difficulties days prior announcement state emergency management director noted precedent government people costs money pay lost look service dollars pay conceded legally decision rest april legislature hearing indicated hired independent review costs incurred state searching added critical anybody suspect wrong chairman lacked funds state billed family search costs directly respond later interview stated comments committee given false impression hired purpose later challenging state financial burden incurred behalf national_guard search operation interview reports state seek payment recorded stating glad hear steps taken try costs nevada search cost million largest search rescue effort conducted person asked estate shoulder declined saying wife spent million private searching recovery wreckage remains september found identification cards california miles south degrees site items confirmed belonging included issued card membership card cash october late day air search teams spotted wreckage ground coordinates elevation feet yards personal items found later evening teams confirmed identification tail number plane crash site slope beneath southwest ridge line feet lower ridge adams wilderness california named places near crash site include feet west miles northeast miles west southwest peaks miles west national monument miles southeast town nearest populated place miles east southeast site miles east national park days ground found bone fragments inches size dna tests subsequently showed fragments human october search teams recovered large human bones suspected belong bones found miles east crash site tennis shoes animal bite marks recovered november california police said dna bones laboratory confirmed match dna said died impact crash unusual animals drag remains away report findings march issued report findings states plane crashed elevation feet feet crest ridge elevation peaks area exceeded feet density altitude area time place crash estimated feet aircraft tandem nearly years old flown approximately hours type plane operating manual says altitude feet rate climb feet minute report says provided numerical simulation conditions accident area numerical model approximate time crash model displayed area approximately feet minute evidence equipment failure report stated examination skeletal fragments performed auspices cause death determined multiple traumatic injuries july declared probable cause crash pilot encounter exceeded climb capability airplane contributing accident high density altitude mountainous terrain
Steve Fossett