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CNN Sunday Morning

Balloonist Steve Fossett Passes Easter Island

Aired August 12, 2001 - 07:18   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.
FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN ANCHOR: Back in the Earth's atmosphere, balloon man Steve Fossett is pushing forward in his quest to circle the globe. We get the latest update on his progress now from Fossett's team. Jim Mitchell joining us live on the phone now from Fossett's mission control center in St. Louis.

Jim, tell us, it's been about a week now, I believe, since Mr. Fossett took to the air. Where is he?

JIM MITCHELL, SPOKESPERSON, SOLO SPIRIT: He's out near Easter Island. He just phoned in a while back and said that he could see the lights of Easter Island, he was in the dark at that point in time, and he's proceeding just West and slightly south of the island.

BUCKLEY: When he's out over the water, I was reading, that he puts the balloon on autopilot and can sleep, he can read. Tell me about the loneliness, the sense of loneliness that takes place out there. Have you spoken to him about what he thinks about, talks about?

MITCHELL: Well, he is so accustomed to long distance flights that he doesn't seem to bother about the environment. He eats and is getting more sleep than usual. He did read a book yesterday, or told us he finished a book yesterday. His space capsule, so to speak, is pretty confined, but he just goes about the normal navigation and he has a full bank of instruments with him. And so he's kind of like an airline pilot in slow motion.

BUCKLEY: He's had to ditch in the water in the past, scared a few people, I'm sure his family included. How are things looking in terms of air speeds and dangers? Are you skirting storms? Give us a sense of that.

MITCHELL: Actually, he's been out in front of storms that were behind him late yesterday and pulled away. Does not seem to have anything in front of him. He's about two days away from the coast of Chile. We figure daylight some time on Tuesday. He's now about 20,000, 22,000 feet. The sun, he's out in the sun and that causes the balloon to rise, he'll be a little higher than that today. He's now gone about 8,700 miles and a little more than, well, almost seven-and- a-half days. He's about 36 percent complete as far as distance on the globe.

That doesn't tell you everything you need to know, because irregular path may mean he'll travel further than another two-thirds.

BUCKLEY: Well, Mr. Fossett has a bunch of firsts to his credit. First crossing of the African continent. First crossing of the European continent. What drives him to do this?

MITCHELL: Well, he, I guess, he is the foremost adventurer of our time. He has swum the English channel and participated in the Iditarod dog sled race and he holds ten yachting records and he seems to be doing one of these almost every week. He, I know, has some sailing records that he's looking at as soon as he gets back on the ground, so he's a busy fellow.

BUCKLEY: Well, Jim Mitchell, thanks very much.

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