Steve Fossett's Biography

Adventurer, Steve Fossett was born in California on 22 April 1944.

He gained a BA from Stanford University in 1966, and an MBA from Washington University in 1968.

Fossett became President of Larkspur Securities Inc in 1980, however he gained his fame from the multitude of intrepid world records he amassed.

In 1995 Steve Fossett made the first solo flight in a balloon across the Pacific. He had eight US records in Roziere balloon altitude flights.

From 19 June to 4 July 2002 Steve Fossett made the first balloon flight round the world, and gained the absolute world speed record, and the 24 hour balloon distance record.

Fossett also engaged in several intrepid sailing ventures including going round the world in 2004. Fossett and his crew set sail from Plymouth in a 125 foot catamaran, Cheyenne. Their 21,760-mile journey took them around the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin and Cape Horn during almost 59 days at sea, shaving almost six days off the existing record.

Fossett also held world speed records at gliding, but these pale beside the records he amassed for airplane flying, which includes the fastest world record by a non-supersonic airplane (742.02mph).

Not satisfied with using transportation, Steve Fossett also swam the English Channel, and climbed the highest peak in six continents. He engaged in dogsled racing in the Iditarod in 1992, raced at Le Mans in 1993 and 1996 and gained the cross-country skiing record from Aspen to Eagle.

In summary, Steve Fossett held over 20 world sailing records and set over 50 previous records in boats, airplanes, balloons and gliders.

On 3 March 2005, after 67 hours flying, Steve Fossett broke several records when he successfully flew solo non-stop around the world without refuelling in a jet plane.

The aeroplane, Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer, was designed and built by Scaled Composites, known for making extraordinary aircraft, including the first commercial spacecraft, SpaceShipOne.

A year later Steve Fossett took to the air again in a world record bid. In February 2006, Fossett's goal was the world's longest non-stop aircraft flight.

Fossett took the record in spite of a generator failure forcing him to make a mayday call and divert to Bournemouth. He had flown 26,389.3 miles around the globe - taking 76 hours and 45 minutes.

In September 2007, US federal aviation officials reported that a plane flown by Steve Fossett was missing in the Nevada desert.

On the 19th of September, the official search for Steve Fossett was called off.

In February 2008, Steve Fossett was declared legally dead by a court in Chicago, after his wife had filed a court petition so his will could be acted on.

The judge said the evidence that Steve Fossett was dead was "more than sufficient".

On 2 October 2008, the BBC reported that the wreckage of a plane found near the town of Mammoth Lakes in California belonged to Steve Fossett, and it was later confirmed that there were human remains found in the wrecked plane.