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CNN Live At Daybreak

Important Day for Balloonist Steve Fossett

Aired August 17, 2001 - 07:02   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BRIAN NELSON, CNN ANCHOR: It is the adventure of a lifetime, but it is not without danger. American balloonist Steve Fossett is high over South America right now heading for the Atlantic Ocean, but he had some tense moments crossing over the Andes Mountains.

He began chasing his dream of becoming the first balloonist to fly around the world solo two weeks ago. He lifted off from Northam, Australia, August 4. He is now skirting the Uruguay-Brazilian border, and the blue Atlantic is just about two hours away.

CNN's Jeff Flock is following this record flight from Fossett's mission control center in St. Louis - good morning, Jeff.

JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Brian.

It was a rough night overnight. We are indeed at Washington University -- perhaps you see behind me and off there in the distance. This is mission control, about 30 folks or so here helping him get through what last night was a very difficult night with the weather.

This is going to be an important day, too, because this is the day where he has to make the decision about whether or not to go off across the Atlantic, and that will come a little bit later. We expected that decision early this morning, but they are going to push that back, because he didn't make as much progress overnight, because of that rough weather.

And now, we've got the latest plot over here, and I am shading the map here, but perhaps you can see it. We're going to talk to Jim Mitchell in just a moment, who is assisting with the mission here. This is where he is right now. As you can see, it looks like, Jim, is it Brazil he is over or Argentina?

JIM MITCHELL, MISSION CONTROL: He is still over Argentina -- just moved out. He is moving toward either the coast along in Brazil probably at -- well, probably Rio Grande. And...

FLOCK: Right now? Now, he had a lot of rough -- we're going to get back with you in just a few moments, and Carol and Colleen are going to ask you a lot about this weather.

But he is OK at the moment, but a rough night.

MITCHELL: Yes. Probably as close an association with an evening of thunderstorms as you will ever have in a balloon.

FLOCK: OK. Jim, stand by with us. We're going to come back to you here in just a moment. We will have an extraordinary day today on CNN watching this mission up close and personal from mission control here in St. Louis.

Brian, that's the latest -- back to you.

NELSON: All right. Thanks very much, Jeff.

And in about five minute's time, Carol will talk with Fossett's mission control director. And of course, CNN will have live coverage of this flight throughout the hour and throughout the day.

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