Around the World by Balloon, Take 5
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American adventurer Steve Fossett took off at dawn from Western Australia on his fifth attempt to fly solo around the world in a balloon.
The silver-colored “Solo Spirit” slowly rose from the ground, and with it the 57-year-old Chicago millionaire. Before liftoff, Fossett looked calm and said he was confident, despite weeks of delays.
“After all this waiting, I’m really anxious to fly,” he said minutes before taking off.
Using a patched-up balloon that tore during takeoff on his last attempt, Fossett plans to cruise east. If successful, the trip around the world should take about 15 days.
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