RIP Steve Fossett

Middenrat · Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 1:56 am Post subject: RIP Steve Fossett

He made it big (on the Chicago futures market) then lived it large, setting 116 world records in hot air balloons, sailing boats, gliders and powered aircraft. Other achievements include swimming the Dardanelles and the English Channel, the Boston Marathon, the Ironman Triathlon, the Iditarod sled dog race, climbed the highest mountains on six of the seven continents and drove in the Le Mans and Daytona 24-hour races.
His collaborator on several jaunts, Richard Branson, described him as 'a loner: half Forrest Gump, half android' and 'If there's an ocean to swim, he'll choose Christmas Day and it must be snowing... That's Steve for you'. Remarkably, he failed to get into his school cross-country team due to his asthma.
Fossett said, 'The things I do are things that a lot of people would like to do. What's unusual is that I actually go out and do them.' (He was worth about $50m, which would go a long way to realising my dreams too Wink

)
On the 3rd September last year he took off from a runway in Nevada in a single-engine aircraft to search for a lakebed to pursue another world record attempt. I think he will be satisfied to have died with his boots on.
Steve is survived by his wife Peggy, whom he married in 1968, and by 60 of his records which remain unbroken.

condensed from The Daily Telgraph's excellent obits page
_________________

Skin by Baino

Dutchy · Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 9:13 am Post subject:

God Bless 'im
_________________

Spanky_McCoy · Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 7:42 am Post subject:

Why do the good die rich and relatively middle aged.

He was definitely a doer that man and an inspiration to our Beardy Branson.
_________________

JawZ · Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 1991 Location: Bedfordshire

saddam hussein?
_________________

Supergrinch · Joined: 19 Jan 2008 Posts: 51

Um, let's cut through the treakle and pompous puffery. He was a rich guy who was an 'adventurer and thrillseeker'. By definition, they die young (80 year old men aint trying to go to 1000 mph) usually with an alligator eating thier face or a plane crashing into a mountain.

I raise a glass in saluting the man doing what he wanted 'til the end, but it's not the feel-good romantic story most make it.

And who was the last 'good' person to make 50 million?
_________________
I'm more of a vehicular gymnasticist than driver.

JawZ · Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 1991 Location: Bedfordshire

his still alive, i saw him last week, his taking things easy apperently, faked his death and all that, he was sick of being all adventorous.
_________________

JawZ · Joined: 29 Oct 2007 Posts: 1991 Location: Bedfordshire

http://www.gearthblog.com/blog/archives/2007/09/help_find_steve_fosset_with_google.html
_________________