UK: U.S. BALLOONIST STEVE FOSSETT WILL JOIN RICHARD BRANSON IN ROUND-THE-WORLD BALLOON FLIGHT ATTEMPT

Record ID: 646546

  • Title: UK: U.S. BALLOONIST STEVE FOSSETT WILL JOIN RICHARD BRANSON IN ROUND-THE-WORLD BALLOON FLIGHT ATTEMPT
  • Date: 10th September 1998
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (SEPTEMBER 10, 1998) (RTV) 1. VARIOUS VIRGIN TEAM IN BASKET ON STREET (3 SHOTS) 0.22 2. SCU GLOBAL CHALLENGER SIGN 0.27 3. WS INSIDE HOTEL PRESS CONFERENCE WITH RICHARD BRANSON, PER LINDSTRAND AND STEVE FOSSETT 0.36 4. SV STEVE FOSSETT SAYING " WELL THE RESCUE WASN'T EVEN COMPLETE WHEN I RECEIVED RICHARD'S CALL I WAS ON THE NEW ZEALAND WARSHIP ENDEAVOUR AND RECEIVED A SATELLITE CALL AND RICHARD SAID WELL I'D LIKE YOU TO FLY WITH US I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT WHEN I GOT BACK TO CALIFORNIA I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE BALLOON TEAMS AND DECIDED THAT THIS WAS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR ME. WE ARE ON THE VERGE OF COMPLETING THE FIRST AROUND THE WORLD FLIGHT AND THAT I SHOULD JOIN THIS TEAM (ENGLISH) 1.06 5. WS JOUNALISTS AT PRESS CONFERENCE 1.10 6. SV RICHARD BRANSON: "THE IDEA OF FLYING WITHOUT HIM (FOSSETT)AND SUCCEEDING I DONT THINK WE WOULD HAVE FELT AS GOOD ABOUT IT IF WE HAD ENED UP BEATING HIM SOMETHING WOULD HAVE BEEN MISSING. STEVE IS ONLY HALF HUMAN, PER ONCE SAID THAT HE WAS HALF ANDROID AND HALF FOREST GUMP AND THERE AREN'T ANY PEOPLE IN THE WORLD LIKE HIM." (ENGLISH) 1.37 VARIOUS/ FILE/ VNR 7. VARIOUS RICHARD BRANSON'S PREVIOUS RECORD ATTEMPTS (12 SHOTS) 2.00 8. SLV STEVE FOSSETTS PREVIOUS RECORD ATTEMPT 2.03 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 25th September 1998 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
  • City:
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVA9HXK84YNYXAWB7Q1J3H7Z1SSA
  • Story Text: United States (U.S.) adventurer Steve Fossett will join British businessman Richard Branson in a joint bid to make the first round-the-world balloon flight Branson's team announced in London on Thursday (September 10) that arch rival Fossett will become the third member of the crew in his fourth attempt at the elusive around the world balloon record.

    Fossett, who almost died last month when his balloon crashed into the South Pacific after plunging 29,000 feet (8,800 metres) and ended his fourth attempt to circumnavigate the globe by balloon, said that he might give up his quest.

    But on Thursday, Branson's co-pilot, Per Lindstrand, said Fossett had agreed to join him and Branson on a new attempt.

    They plan to take off from Morocco in November.

    "He is the most experienced candidate for the job," Lindstrand said of Fossett.

    Branson, head of the Virgin group of companies, failed in his last attempt to fly round the world when his balloon was ripped from its moorings in Marrakech last December as it was being inflated.It was later recovered damaged in neighbouring Algeria.


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