Steve Fossett MISSING

[Lee Kington]

Rescuers in 13 planes and helicopters are searching for American adventurer Steve Fossett, who has been missing since yesterday.

The US Federal Aviation Administration says Mr Fossett took off in a single-engine plane from a private airstrip in western Nevada yesterday and did not return. LINK (http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/05/2024298.htm?section=world)

Steve is a record setting aviator. I sincerely hope that he has survived whatever has occured.

[LouC]

I have been listening to this for several hours as they increase the number of search planes. I hope he is found well and soon.

[Dual867PowerMac]

I hope nothing's wrong. :(

[FranklySpeaking]

How is it possible not to file a flight plan in today's age and/or time ?

Hope all is well in the end !

[Hadassah]

Wow. The searchers have their work cut out for them. I hope he's found safe.

[newyorkjetsfan]

I hope that he's still alive.

[ImNewHere]

Well. At least he died doing what he loved.

[Lee Kington]

Well. At least he died doing what he loved.

What are you talking about???? There is NO indication that he is dead. The aircraft he was flying is quite capable of making an emergancy off field landing.

Your presumption that he died is sick.

[doghouse]

What are you talking about???? There is NO indication that he is dead. The aircraft he was flying is quite capable of making an emergancy off field landing.

Your presumption that he died is sick.

Wouldn't he have contacted someone by now, if that were the case?

I don't take what he said as being disrespectful.

[James Juno]

Wouldn't he have contacted someone by now, if that were the case?

I don't take what he said as being disrespectful.

The odds might be stacked against him. Nevertheless, as a matter of principle, one should not assume the worst. It's a sour precedent to set especially toward the families. Perhaps some even have readers visiting these forums.

If he crash-landed in the middle of nowhere, it might take time to contact him. Fossett is a man who clearly thinks through difficult situations with an even, steady keel.

[LoneStarHero]

He's vulture kindling by now.

[Lee Kington]

Wouldn't he have contacted someone by now, if that were the case?

I don't take what he said as being disrespectful.

There are any number of potential reasons for a lack of contact. Aircraft electrical problem... radios not working. Remote area... no cell phone coverage. Etc.

Assuming the 'worse' is always in poor taste and bad form. If a public information officer did so they would be fired. I am quite certain that ImNewHere would take offensive if the where abouts of their spouse was temporarily unknown and a co-worker or other automatically said... "Too bad your spouse died."

[Lee Kington]

He's vulture kindling by now.

I shall remember your lack of compassion should your family ever be faced with a potential tragedy.

[Lady Liberty]

I hope he is found safe. He is a skillful pilot and stands excellent chances at survival. Let's keep a good thought for him.

~

[LoneStarHero]

I shall remember your lack of compassion should your family ever be faced with a potential tragedy.

I just wanted to use "vulture kindling" in sentence.

How many of these Richard Branson types are still around?

[ImNewHere]

What are you talking about???? There is NO indication that he is dead. The aircraft he was flying is quite capable of making an emergancy off field landing.

Your presumption that he died is sick.

If he was flying around the Sierra Nevada mtns, that would be one heck of an aircraft to land safely.

And the presumption of his demise is logical given the circumstances. Wishing he was dead is a different matter. He's some dude I never heard of, not Osama bin Laden.

[Lee Kington]

And the presumption of his demise is logical given the circumstances. Wishing he was dead is a different matter. He's some dude I never heard of, not Osama bin Laden.

The Californian is best known for being the first person to fly solo around the world by balloon in 2002 and then by airplane in 2005.

He has set 115 world records in balloons, airplanes, sailboats, gliders and airships.

Fossett has also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and competed in the Iditarod dogsled race, the Ironman Triathlon and in the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race.

He was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in July, and he has talked openly about breaking other records.

[EnchantedFrog]

The plane he was flying is a Bellanca Decathlon, a fully aerobatic sport plane capable of landing on a patch no bigger than a football field. I suspect he will be found, quite alive.

[Xena]

When he was on VFR approach with the Global Flyer, pilots and controllers had a few comments: "Congratulations from U.S. Airways," "Congratulations from American," "Congratulations from Southwest," "Congratulations from Cessna Aircraft," and the best, "Fossett, you're a stud."

I watched / heard all of his homecoming and it was just tremendous. It's not looking so well right now, but am keeping my fingers crossed. What a fantastic man.

[Xena]

How is it possible not to file a flight plan in today's age and/or time ?

Hope all is well in the end !

They don't have to.

[Xena]

He's vulture kindling by now.

You are the most crass jackass on this board.

[Xena]

The plane he was flying is a Bellanca Decathlon, a fully aerobatic sport plane capable of landing on a patch no bigger than a football field. I suspect he will be found, quite alive.

True dat regarding the Decathlon/Super Decathlon. I learned on this Decath:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/XenaWarrior/Aircraft/Decathlon.jpg

When the news came out about Fossett and they mentioned he was in a Super Decath, I thought that was so damned cool. Then when they learned that there were huge gusts in that area, I had a sinking feeling.

:pray:

[notluzn]

Storms?

[Lee Kington]

The search so far has be very through...

Underscoring the vastness of the area being searched, officials said spotter planes have so far found wreckage from six previously unrecorded crash sites,

But no Steve yet. :frown:

[darrkwolff]

I didn't hear that there were any storms in Nevada at the time that he took off. :think:

I find it a little odd that he didn't file a flight plan before he took off. :think:

I do hope that they find him, and that he turns out to be okay. It would be bad enough if the search ended on less than a triumphal note, but for an adventurer like Fossett, who broke records by going around the world the way he did, IMHO, would be insulting as well as tragic and sad. :(

[notluzn]

The search so far has be very through...



But no Steve yet. :frown: Thats crazy. Wonder what they found.

[darrkwolff]

The thing that also gets me is that they're finding all these old plane wreckages, but not even a trace of Steve. :think: I would almost think that if he were to be found in the area, they would have found something by now.

Here's something of a radical idea, and maybe I'm going waaaaay out on a limb here, but what if Fossett is alive and well....and just doesn't want to be found? :eh:

Something to think about....

[notluzn]

Was he over Utah or Nevada? There is a New Area 51 if you guys didn't know. They actually moved the base further north east

[darrkwolff]

I think he was over Nevada, since that's where he took off from, but I'm not sure if he disappeared over Utah or Nevada.

I know that there's a new Area 51. Whatcha sayin' there, Luzn? ;)

[Xena]

FNC says they have found an airplane crash. Not sure if it is him though.

[Samm]

The plane he was flying is a Bellanca Decathlon, a fully aerobatic sport plane capable of landing on a patch no bigger than a football field. I suspect he will be found, quite alive.

Not to sound pessimistic, but his plane was equipped with an emergency locator beacon. It deploys automatically in a crash and can be turned on manually in a "soft" landing. A man like Fosset would not have neglected this piece of equipment so the only logical reasons for no signal being heard would be that he was incapacitated after making a soft landing or that the device was destroyed in an unsurvivable catastrophic crash.

[Xena]

50 miles from the private strip he left from

[Samm]

FNC says they have found an airplane crash. Not sure if it is him though.

Actually they have found five previously undocumented crash sites, none of them were Fosset… unless you have heard of another find in the last hour or so?

[darrkwolff]

Xena, I can't find it on FNC or CNN. All I've seen is that they're resuming the search. :think:

[Xena]

Search for adventurer Fossett (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PqBDHb7ZjY)

Virgin Global Flyer, Mini Documentary (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grWFooic8FA)

STEVE FOSSETT GREAT AMERICAN AVIATOR (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiBAH7IAtjg)

Solo pilot sets round-the-world record
Fossett ends historic flight where he started, in Kansas (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7075972/)

Some of the vids work on ^

[Xena]

Xena, I can't find it on FNC or CNN. All I've seen is that they're resuming the search. :think:



Turn on your tube. They haven't posted on their website.

[Xena]

FNC also says the crashed plane had blue and white.

[Xena]

News conference coming on soon. Sigh.

[Xena]

It isn't him. Still looking for him. :pray:

[NascarGirl2448]

Hopefully they will find him alive.

[FranklySpeaking]

The thing that also gets me is that they're finding all these old plane wreckages, but not even a trace of Steve. :think: I would almost think that if he were to be found in the area, they would have found something by now.

Here's something of a radical idea, and maybe I'm going waaaaay out on a limb here, but what if Fossett is alive and well....and just doesn't want to be found? :eh:

Something to think about....

:think: ...... Nahhhh !

Better yet .... maybe the mother-ship snagged him in ?

Whaaa-ut ! :confused:

Anything is possible !

Right ?

;)




I'm really not making light of his disappearance ... I just think it is odd that they have found all these old wreckages, yet no sign of his plane ! So you might be on to something.

[FranklySpeaking]

I think he was over Nevada, since that's where he took off from, but I'm not sure if he disappeared over Utah or Nevada.

I know that there's a new Area 51. Whatcha sayin' there, Luzn? ;)

Dang-it ... he was just trying to steal my thunder !

:razz:

[Xena]

Fossett search yields clues to mysteries (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6987855.stm)
Updated: Wednesday, 12 September 2007, 12:09 GMT 13:09 UK

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/XenaWarrior/Aircraft/LookingforFossett.jpg

By Kathryn Westcott
BBC News

Search crews looking for missing pilot Steve Fossett have had their hopes dashed at least six times as they come across wreckage from other small planes that had previously been undiscovered.

But this has rekindled hopes that light may now be shed on the fate of some of those who have disappeared while flying over one of the most barren corners of the United States.

Kim Toulouse, a spokesman for the Nevada Department of Wildlife, described the empty valleys being scoured for the millionaire adventurer as an aviation "graveyard".

"We're finding them left and right," he said. "The technology we have today is allowing us to find this stuff." These wrecks are years, sometimes decades old.

News of the wrecks has prompted inquiries from people wondering if the pilots or passengers may be long-lost family members.

Florida man William Ogle says he is desperately hoping that one of these wrecks may turn out to be that of his father, who vanished en route to Reno in 1964 amid mysterious circumstances.

See a map of the area (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6987855.stm#map)

Mr Ogle junior contacted the Civil Air Patrol in Nevada and has been assured that all the wrecks will be investigated thoroughly in the coming weeks and months.

"I definitely need closure," Mr Ogle, a 47-year-old scientist from Gainesville, Florida, told the BBC News website.

He says that what has happened to Mr Fossett has revived vivid memories.

"We simply don't know what happened to my father. While I was growing up, I was in a perpetual state of limbo," he said.

Property developer Charles Ogle, then 41, took off from Oakland in his four-seat Cessna 210 on a fine day in August, without filing a flight plan.

"They didn't know where to look for my father, so they had to search in a growing cone right around the airport. As you can see with the Fossett case, it's a difficult proposition," said Mr Ogle.

William was almost five when his father went missing. Not knowing what happened to him has cast a shadow over his life.

He says that when he was young, his teachers would complain to his mother because he would look out of the windows all the time looking for his father's plane.

Charles Ogle learned to fly while serving in the Marine Corps during the Korean War.

"My father was an experienced pilot but not an expert one," remembers Mr Ogle. "He used to take me up in the plane and let me hold the wheel, it was so exciting for me."

An account of Charles's disappearance in the local Oakland Times at the time described him as a "land investor with a Midas touch" who was involved in million-dollar real estate deals.

But he was also divorcing his wife and the newspaper account reveals the presence of a young woman near Charles's plane on the day he disappeared.

"My mother was going through a very hard time, then my father disappeared and she was left with nothing. His business partner said he ran off with lots of money. I grew up thinking that he was in fact still alive and had just run off."

The search was called off after 60 hours, but the Ogle family hired private investigators to try to establish whether Charles was still alive.

He was only declared legally dead 11 years ago.

Charles's plane crossed a tiny part of Nevada's rugged wilderness that has swallowed more than 130 light aircraft in the past 50 years.

The Florida-based Air Force Rescue Coordination Centre, which is helping coordinate the Fossett search, maintains a registry of known plane wreck sites in Nevada.

There are currently 129 entries in that registry, but members of the Fossett search team say there are likely to be many more out there.

The National Transportation Safety Board told the BBC News website that all newly discovered wrecks would be fully investigated. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is also likely to send investigators to the new sites.

FAA spokesperson Ian Gregor said investigators would try to identify the pilots. So far, no human remains have been found but Mr Gregor says the planes' owners can be traced through tail and serial numbers as well as personal effects found at the scene.

"An experienced inspector can glean a lot of information even from badly damaged or deteriorated wrecks," he said.

So why have so many planes crashed in Nevada?

Lee Elson, a pilot for 26 years and flying instructor who operates out of Minden airport - where the Fossett search is being coordinated - says the region's topography tells much of the story.

Nevada has more than 300 mountain ranges carved with deep ravines. Some peaks rise to 11,000ft.

"For someone who is used to flat-land flying, the mountains in this area could be dangerous. Some of the planes are unable to clear the peaks so aviators have to fly through the ravines, where the wind picks up," he told the BBC News website.

"The area we are talking about is on the East - the lee side - of the Sierra Nevada range. This is the side of the mountain that is most susceptible to up draughts and down draughts."

Down draughts here can be deadly, forcing a light aircraft 1,000ft down in seconds.

<snip>

[ImNewHere]

The thing that also gets me is that they're finding all these old plane wreckages, but not even a trace of Steve. :think: I would almost think that if he were to be found in the area, they would have found something by now.

Here's something of a radical idea, and maybe I'm going waaaaay out on a limb here, but what if Fossett is alive and well....and just doesn't want to be found? :eh:

Something to think about....

If it's a publicity stunt, it wouldn't go over well at all.

[Xena]

Search for Fossett is downgraded (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7000506.stm)
Last Updated: Tuesday, 18 September 2007, 11:35 GMT

The search for US adventurer Steve Fossett has been scaled back two weeks after his plane vanished over the Nevada wilderness, officials say.

Nevada Civil Air Patrol has suspended aerial searches and put two planes on standby to follow any new leads.

Rescuers said 98% of the area that needed to be searched had been.

Mr Fossett went missing on 3 September after taking off in his single-engine aircraft from a Nevada airstrip for a flight supposed to last three hours.

The 63-year-old aviator did not file a flight plan with the aviation authorities because he was not required to do so.

The Civil Air Patrol has scoured huge areas of Nevada desert, as well as parts of California, in the hunt for Mr Fossett.

At the height of the operation, 45 planes were deployed.

"The Civil Air Patrol feel that they have completed their search of 98% of the ground that needed to be covered," Nevada State police spokesman Chuck Allen told the AFP news agency.

"They feel like they've done everything they can at this stage."

Two aircraft are being left on standby in case any new information comes in.

The National Guard is keeping five helicopters on search duty and rescuers are also continuing their efforts on the ground.

Wreckage

Officials are set to meet later this week to discuss ending the huge operation that has involved dozens of flights and searches by both official organisations and volunteers.

People have also been scouring up-to-date satellite images from Google Earth to try to spot Mr Fossett's downed plane or wreckage.

The search in Nevada by the Civil Air Patrol and many private pilots has discovered several previously undiscovered downed planes - some of which were decades old.

Mr Fossett reportedly took the flight to look for locations that could be used for an attempt on the land speed record.

<snip>

[Lee Kington]

It is frustrating for the participants in the operation to know that the subject of a SAR is most likely in the area and elusive to search efforts. For now, it will be a difficult time for Steve's family, friends, and fans. Hope and prayers are still with him.

[Ruzzty]

Here is a suggestion for future events such as this. Have mobile phone towers that can pickup cell phone signals in mountains. If he is alive w/ a cell phone, he might be able to send out a signal for help. Maybe they already have that technology on planes, I don't know. I can't imagine Steve going w/out a cell phone.

[malnila]

Here is a suggestion for future events such as this. Have mobile phone towers that can pickup cell phone signals in mountains. If he is alive w/ a cell phone, he might be able to send out a signal for help. Maybe they already have that technology on planes, I don't know. I can't imagine Steve going w/out a cell phone.

He HAS one of those personal beacon/locater watches but his wife said he didn't have it on him. I'm assuming it's because he thought it would be a short flight.

[JeffR]

I haven't heard any conspiracy theories yet.

Aliens?
Gov't cover up?
Boosh?

[Samm]

Here is a suggestion for future events such as this. Have mobile phone towers that can pickup cell phone signals in mountains. If he is alive w/ a cell phone, he might be able to send out a signal for help. Maybe they already have that technology on planes, I don't know. I can't imagine Steve going w/out a cell phone.

No problem there that money won't solve... who should pay for it? The Cell phone companies who will pass it on to us? Or the handful of pilots (and other adventurous souls who occasionally wander around in the area) who already have emergency locator beacons in their planes (as Steve did) that are much more likely to survive a serious crash than a cell phone?

[Xena]

Search continues with Army and Air National Guard helicopters
plus Flying M Ranch based private aircraft (http://www.stevefossett.com/index.html)

18 September 2007 - Nevada, USA - Although the CAP have announced a scaling back of their fixed wing search, Army and Air National Guard helicopters as well as over a dozen privately funded aircraft based at the Flying M Ranch air resort continue the effort to find missing aviator Steve Fossett, who failed to return from a pleasure flight on Monday, September 3rd.

Despite mounting odds as the search enters its third week, the mood at the remote air resort remains positive. The Flying M team (which yesterday comprised 8 helicopters and 5 fixed wing aircraft, including some equipped with infrared and other spectrum analysis assets flying up to 24 hours a day) are flying out each day to methodically work their assigned sectors of the search grid, flying as low as possible. These private aircraft are acting in close coordination with the military helicopters as they comb the rugged and mountainous high desert, looking for signs of Steve's Super Decathlon light aircraft or of a crash site.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/XenaWarrior/Aircraft/SuperDecatlonFossett.jpg

Also:

New images on Amazon Mechanical Turk / Google Earth being added
Fossett team personnel from multiple projects involved

15 September 2007 - Nevada, USA - The search for Steve Fossett continues on its 12th full day with CAP aircraft from Minden, Nevada and Bishop, California, the Air National Guard from Reno, plus Army National Guard helicopters and private aircraft (8 helicopters and 5 fixed wing) based at the Flying M Ranch scouring the high desert and mountainous terrain for signs of Steve's plane or a crash site.

New even higher resolution images and new swathes have been added to the Amazon Mechanical Turk KML overlay Click for link on how to take part (http://www.mturk.com/mturk/preview?groupId=9TSZK4G35XEZJZG21T60)on an almost daily basis for the continued and renewed perusal of thousands of pairs of eyes around the world.

<snip>

[Samm]

I just heard on radio news that they have officially called off the search. :neutral:

[Ruzzty]

Wonder if they checked his computer? Perhaps he used GoogleEarth and we could get a clue. And to think people complain we can't find Osama Obama Bin Ladin yet here we have a PLANE, no one shooting back at us, we can't find.

[waynevan]

I think he's in Tahiti. Maybe I should go look for him.......

[Ruzzty]

Put up a 50-100k reward and he will be found by sundown tomorrow - guarenteed.

[Xena]

Could we have a little respect here? :rolleyes:

[Xena]

I just heard on radio news that they have officially called off the search. :neutral:

See the earlier articles.

[badpenny]

I just heard on radio news that they have officially called off the search. :neutral:

That is correct.

September 21, 2007

Rescuers called off the search for the aviator Steve Fossett last night, 17 days after his light aircraft disappeared over the Nevada desert.
After 474 flights covering 20,000 square miles, the Nevada Civil Air Patrol sent its aircraft back to base and the state’s National Guard helicopters were grounded, having found no trace of Fossett or his light aircraft.
Fossett’s wife Peggy continues to fund a private search involving eight light aircraft, but with hopes fading of finding him, legal experts gave warning of a potential legal battle over his multimillion-dollar estate.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article2500579.ece (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article2500579.ece)

[Xena]

Technology may have abandoned its longtime friend Steve Fossett (http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/tech/20070921-1042-nv-stevefossett-technology.html)

By Tom Gardner
ASSOCIATED PRESS

10:42 a.m. September 21, 2007

MINDEN, Nev. – Steve Fossett and technology were longtime companions, working together in record flights around the world in advanced airplanes and balloons.

But the globe-circling adventurer's comrade appears to have turned fickle during and after a three-hour Labor Day jaunt.

His plane, borrowed from hotel magnate Barron Hilton, with whom he was staying in Smith Valley, carried an emergency locator transponder, or ELT, and the noted aviator often wore a special wristwatch that allowed him to signal his location in an emergency. But rescuers have heard nothing from either.

“Technology is a two-edged sword,” Civil Air Patrol Maj. Cynthia Ryan said. “I've heard a lot of people mentioning the fancy Breitling watch that he is probably wearing. That's great. His ELT is probably working just fine. But when you've got terrain like we have here, line-of-sight issues, bouncing off of canyon walls and not getting out, then you seriously diminish the ability of technology to do what it was designed to do.” Fossett's wife, Peggy, said she did not believe her husband was wearing the watch.

In addition, Ryan said the on-board emergency locator transmitter, or ELT, could have been disabled in a crash or if the plane ended up submerged. Or its battery might have been too low.

“It's not foolproof,” she said.

Nor, it seems, is the latest gadgetry for detecting heat or objects from the air.

In addition to scores of eyes in Civil Air Patrol planes that combed a vast swath of western Nevada for two weeks, listening in vain for the transmitter's ping, other aircraft used old-fashioned infrared and a sophisticated system new to search and rescue.

On Monday, two weeks after Fossett was last seen, the Nevada Wing of the Civil Air Patrol sent home all but two of its planes, which remain at the airport in Minden. On Wednesday, the Nevada National Guard's helicopters returned to their bases. The choppers and the two Civil Air Patrol planes remain on standby to respond to any new leads.

Searchers had held out high hopes for the technological newcomer ARCHER, which can “see” objects that don't belong in places like Nevada's other-world landscape – such as a piece of airplane.

“This is the kind of terrain that Archer was born and raised in and they want to put it through its paces and see just what it can do. These are optimal circumstances to test that system,” Ryan said during the search.

It was developed in the 1990s for scientific observation and military applications and refined for search and rescue by the military and Civil Air Patrol Col. Drew Alexa, Ryan said.

While the human eye typically detects three light bands, ARCHER – an acronym for Airborne Real-time Cueing Hyperspectral Enhanced Reconnaissance – can analyze 50. Mounted on the belly of a Civil Air Patrol plane, it transmits images to a monitor for instant analysis and captures the images for later use on the ground.

More traditional is infrared scanning, used on Nevada National Guard planes and helicopters to seek out a human being, even in the summertime furnace that is the Nevada desert.

“You look for different things in the daytime than in the nighttime. In the daytime you're looking for cooler whereas in the nighttime you're looking for hotter,” according to Col. Craig Wroblewski, director of operations for the Nevada Army and Air National Guard.

“In the daytime when the rocks are all sitting at 150 degrees, a human is going to show up cooler where at night the rocks cool down to 30-40 degrees, they're going to show a much darker signature than a human would.”

The Forward Looking Infrared, or FLIR on the Guard's C-130 airplane and its two UH-58 helicopters also has acute daytime eyesight.

“I've been in the helicopters down there in Las Vegas with their Forward Looking Infrared system and flying down the Strip. I've been able to zero in on somebody's license plate,” said Bill Burks, assistant adjutant general for the Nevada Air National Guard.

While the C-130 and the UH-58s initially flew daytime and nighttime sorties in the search for Fossett, they eventually were restricted to the daylight hours because of concerns about the number of planes flying in the area.

“Normally when we do a search and rescue with the helicopter, we're looking at a smaller area like in the Sierra or in Lyon County or some of our surrounding cow counties so we know right where our helicopters are searching,” Wroblewski said.

“We have a hard time at night when all the other aircraft are flying to make sure our pilots are safe. ... We think it's more safe to conduct the search during the daytime.”

In addition to the trained members of the Civil Air Patrol and the military, technology from Google and Amazon.com gave couch potatoes a chance to join the search.

Using a technique similar to the one that lets people find an aerial view of their house, amateur volunteers pored over high-resolution images of the rugged Nevada landscape where Fossett was thought to missing in an area twice the size of New Jersey.

The satellite images were taken within days of Fossett's disappearance, according to the Nevada National Guard, which used analysts to decipher possible sightings e-mailed by the public.

The images produced a lot of tips but no sign of the blue and white fabric-covered plane.

“Thousands of people have been sending in information,” Nevada Air National Guard Tech Sgt. Steven Snyder said. “When the Europeans get off work we get a bunch of e-mails. When the East Coasters get off work we get a bunch of e-mails.”

The Civil Air Patrol's Maj. Ryan said she doubted the technology available through Google or Amazon.com could match that of the government's satellite imagery.

And she said the discoveries of six planes that have been missing in Nevada for decades gives her hope that technological advances over the decades will help find Fossett's plane.

<snip>

[Xena]

P. S. Not everyone is abandoning the search.

[badpenny]

P. S. Not everyone is abandoning the search.

See the earlier article.

[badpenny]

P.S. from earlier article:

The massive search for Fossett also turned up six aircraft crash sites in the mountainous expanse of western Nevada and eastern California, with some dating back to the early 1960s.

For more than a week after the crash sites were reported, one family hoped that a 43-year mystery had been solved. Charles “Chazzie” Ogle’s single-engine plane disappeared over the Nevada desert in August 1964, and his son - who was 4 at the time – thought that the Fossett search might finally offer some answers. William Ogle, 47, said that the tragedy had “hung over me my whole life”, but last week his hopes were dashed.
Searchers said four of the wrecks were already on file with federal officials and dated from the past 30 years – although the planes’ pilots have yet to be identified.

A fifth “wreck” turned out to not be a crash site but merely debris. The sixth was dated to 1961 – three years before Mr Ogle, a multimillionaire land investor, disappeared. “We’re very sorry, but we believe now that Mr Ogle’s plane was not among the ones we’ve found,” said Major Ed Locke of the National Guard.

[Xena]

P. S. Not everyone is abandoning the search.

. . .

[badpenny]

. . .

As staded in earlier article.

[Xena]

Yes, I have followed this closely from September 3rd.

[Xena]

NTSB Identification: SEA07FAMS2 (http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20070917X01399&key=1)
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, September 03, 2007 in Yerington, NV
Aircraft: Bellanca 8KCAB-180, registration: N240R
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed.

On September 3, 2007, at approximately 1200 Pacific daylight time, a Bellanca 8KCAB-180, N240R, was reported overdue/missing near Yerington, Nevada. The airline transport pilot was the sole occupant on board. The airplane has not yet been found. The Flying M Hunting Club Inc. was operating the airplane under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local personal flight, which originated at approximately 0900. No flight plan had been filed.

Friends of the pilot said that he was on a reconnaissance flight to look at some of the regional dry lakebeds. He was scheduled to return to the Flying M Ranch by 1200. When the pilot failed to return, a search for the aircraft commenced immediately. There were no known emergency radio transmissions from the airplane, nor were any ELT transmissions received.

[waynevan]

Could we have a little respect here? :rolleyes:


It woudn't be the first time someone ran off to Tahiti, I said that as an actual, if remote, possibility. Suggesting I go there to look for him was admittedly a bit crass.

[Xena]

FNC says there is a possible sighting of Fossett's plane. Right colors, etc.

[NascarGirl2448]

I heard that on my local news a few minutes ago.

[malnila]

FNC says there is a possible sighting of Fossett's plane. Right colors, etc.

Please keep us posted....thx

[Xena]

There are new leads in the search for missing aviator Steve Fossett. The Air Force says it has spotted what could be Fossett's possible flight path. The adventurer's been missing for more than three weeks. The area they are looking at is about 100 miles southeast of where Fossett took off. Crews will search on foot and by air this weekend.

[Hadassah]

There are new leads in the search for missing aviator Steve Fossett. The Air Force says it has spotted what could be Fossett's possible flight path. The adventurer's been missing for more than three weeks. The area they are looking at is about 100 miles southeast of where Fossett took off. Crews will search on foot and by air this weekend.

Why wait?

[Xena]

Fossett team heads to Death ValleyRelying on new leads from Air Force experts, crews looking for famed aviator Steve Fossett plan to comb a rugged area near Death Valley by air and foot, authorities said in Carson City.

Gary Derks, the state Department of Public Safety official in charge of the search, said the Air Force analyzed images picked up by radar and satellite that could be Fossett's plane.

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-briefs26sep26,1,6958654.story?coll=la-news-a_section

[Dual867PowerMac]

I hope they find him. :(

[Xena]

Team thanks all for best wishes (http://www.stevefossett.com/index.html)

26 September 2007, Nevada, USA - Air and ground-based search activities continue from the Flying M Ranch base in an effort to find Steve Fossett or signs of his aircraft, missing since September 3rd.

The ranch-based team are using photography from fixed wing aircraft with helicopter and ground-based SAR follow-up. Technology being employed includes airborne hyper spectral imaging - which shows disturbed earth / impact sites plus man-made objects as well as different elements not visible to the human eye.

As likely targets are found they are investigated either by helicopter and / or ground reconnaissance. Additionally, side scan sonar is still being used in the surrounding lakes. Fixed wing aircraft from the Flying M are also still actively searching farther out into surrounding areas, with ground SAR units ready to follow up.

On behalf of the entire Steve Fossett team, we would like to thank everyone who has written to the office and the website over these past three weeks to share their prayers and kind wishes for Steve's safe return. In addition, we thank everyone participating in the search via the Amazon Mechanical Turk / Google Earth initiative.

<snip>

[Gengar]

I don't think he crashed. I think he just wanted to get away, and this is how he did it. IMO, he's sipping champagne coolies on some tropical island... maybe even with a "lady friend".

[Xena]

Please be respectful. Sigh.

[Xena]

Search for Fossett continues (http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770929022)
TOM GARDNER
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Posted: 9/29/2007

Dozens of searchers set off into the rugged Nevada backcountry Saturday after analysts scanning radar and satellite images spotted what may be clues to the whereabouts of missing adventurer Steve Fossett.

Fossett has been missing since his plane went down 27 days ago. The formal aerial search by the Civil Air Patrol and Nevada National Guard helicopters ended Sept. 19 after pilots spent more than two weeks scouring an area twice the size of New Jersey.
A new Air Force analysis of radar and satellite images led to this weekend’s ground search, with three Civil Air Patrol planes flying over the mountainous area. Volunteers on the ground planned to search during the day Saturday and Sunday, said Gary Derks, the state Department of Public Safety official in charge of the search.
“We have about 50 people on ATVs, horseback, walking — anything they can find to get them into the canyon,” Derks said.
“If he’s there, he’s going to be hard to see. That’s why we’re sending in the ground search-and-rescue crews, too,” Derks added.
While he confirmed that the search area was southeast of hotel magnate Barron Hilton’s million-acre ranch in western Nevada where Fossett had been staying, Derks did not want to be more specific to avoid attracting private pilots to the search. Unwanted freelance efforts earlier grounded the official search because of concerns over the pilots’ safety.
“It doesn’t make any difference to anybody who finds Mr. Fossett. This is not a race to find him. Whoever finds him will help all of us,” Derks said.
He said the searchers would not camp overnight because the area was not especially remote and because of mountain temperatures that have been dropping into the 20s.
A private search effort by Fossett’s family and friends continued Tuesday when a plane with sophisticated camera gear took off from the ranch airport 80 miles southeast of Reno where Fossett was last seen when he left on Labor Day for what was supposed to be a three-hour sightseeing jaunt.

<snip>

[Xena]

Ongoing air and ground resources deployed (http://www.stevefossett.com/index.html)

Update 4 October 2007: Despite a concerted weekend effort by Nevada CAP and ground teams, no sign of Steve has emerged. New analysis of radar traces had pointed to a 100 sq mi area SE of the ranch, but ground searchers found nothing. Authorities stated they would follow up leads as they appear. Meanwhile, the ranch based private effort continues as described above post #75.

[badpenny]

Millionaire US adventurer Steve Fossett to be declared dead

27/11/2007 12:49:00 PM.
The wife of millionaire American adventurer Steve Fossett, who disappeared while flying his plane in September, has asked a court to declare him legally dead.

Peggy Fossett’s lawyers say the matter will resolve the legal status of her husband's estate, which court papers say is worth tens of millions of dollars.

Fossett, 63, disappeared on September 3 after taking off in a single-engine plane in Nevada, heading for California.

[Chucky]

Millionaire US adventurer Steve Fossett to be declared dead

27/11/2007 12:49:00 PM.
The wife of millionaire American adventurer Steve Fossett, who disappeared while flying his plane in September, has asked a court to declare him legally dead.

Peggy Fossett’s lawyers say the matter will resolve the legal status of her husband's estate, which court papers say is worth tens of millions of dollars.

Fossett, 63, disappeared on September 3 after taking off in a single-engine plane in Nevada, heading for California.She needs to watch Cast Away (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162222/)...

[Xena]

"Ironically, his last flight was simply for pleasure. Contrary to initial reports, his staff now says Fossett was simply going for a quick jaunt over the desert and not scouting for any new record locations." (http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_17135.aspx)

Good grief.

[Xena]

She needs to watch Cast Away (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162222/)...

Thank you for that insightful comment. :rolleyes:

[Lee Kington]

"Ironically, his last flight was simply for pleasure. Contrary to initial reports, his staff now says Fossett was simply going for a quick jaunt over the desert and not scouting for any new record locations." (http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_17135.aspx)

Good grief.

Which would mean that they may have concentrated their search efforts in the wrong areas.

[Xena]

Yep. At least the search did find several crashes. Haven't heard if Charles Ogle was one of them.

[Hereintheusa]

Ed Dames a rather infamous remote viewer has made claims he knows where Fossetts body is, but as of yet has to follow up on this. He did say on C2C with George Noory that he would retire if he was wrong.

While I think Remote Viewing has some credibility, Ed Dames is nothing but a charlatan.

[JudasGoat]

I've never heard of the dude but from the way you all talk of him he sounds like the Chuck Norris of the skies. He's probably fine.

[Chucky]

Which would mean that they may have concentrated their search efforts in the wrong areas.yep - the wife seems awfully anxious to get him declared dead "for the sake of the estate". Gosh, mourning almost two months (if she assumed he was dead immediately) - a real heart warmer, that one!

(you're welcome, XW)

[Xena]

yep - the wife seems awfully anxious to get him declared dead "for the sake of the estate". Gosh, mourning almost two months (if she assumed he was dead immediately) - a real heart warmer, that one!

You are clueless. Ask an attorney about waiting three months when someone like him goes missing. Peggy waited because he was such a resourceful person and could exist on meager rations for a long time. And that is why so many people searched for him for so long. On September 12, survival experts said Fossett was likely to be dead, but a lot of people kept looking for him.

Are you still in elementary school? If not, grow up.

[Chucky]

...Are you still in elementary school? If not, grow up.LOL - I'm not the one with the "Meerkats" sig.

[Xena]

LOL - I'm not the one with the "Meerkats" sig.

Of course, you cannot bother to answer a question. As for your attempted shot, you show your ignorance yet again. Meerkat Manor is seen in 160 countries with millions of all ages watching the show.

Thanks for playing though.




http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v336/XenaWarrior/Tools/Screwdriver.jpg

[Tweetie]

I don't think he crashed. I think he just wanted to get away, and this is how he did it. IMO, he's sipping champagne coolies on some tropical island... maybe even with a "lady friend".

Maybe he got a little to close to Area 51?? :) OK I don't mean to be funny, but that place is very heavily protected. What if his plane flew over it or even landed a little to close?

[Chucky]

... you show your ignorance yet again. Meerkat Manor is seen in 160 countries with millions of all ages watching the show. ...Oooo - impressive. You claim association with possibly millions of sheeple around the world 'studying' one of the cutesy animal reality shows.

Ignorant "again"? Suggesting the widow watch Cast Away as she's wanting to get Fossett declared dead after just two months is "ignorant"? And I don't understand the legal complexities of "someone like him"? Gosh, sorry, but anyone "like him" who regularly risks his life on stunt records would, in all likelihood, have legal provisions set up for just this sort of occurance. I would find it hard to believe he'd be ignorant of this, though perhaps it's part of some middle-age crisis arrogance.

(oh, and just because you seem to be desperate to "know" - no, I'm not in elementary school. You may go back to TV now.)

:rolleyes:

[badpenny]

SPARKS, Nev., Dec. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Marathon Racing, the parent company of Steve Fossett's World Land Speed Racing Team, today announced the appointment of Louise Ann Noeth to Director of Sponsor and Media Relations.

Despite the loss of their founder, the team is continuing in Steve Fossett's name to capture the Absolute Land Speed Record in excess of 800MPH. The streamlined Fossett racer is 48-feet long and is powered by a single, 40,000 HP S&S Turbine LM-1500 jet engine.

The rset here..... -> http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,234159.shtml

[Xena]

:clap:

Thanks for posting that . . .

[badpenny]

You're welcome! ;)

I was glad to see they were continuing Steve's endeavor.

[Samm]

I've never heard of the dude but from the way you all talk of him he sounds like the Chuck Norris of the skies. He's probably fine.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=steve+fossett+bio&spell=1

I wouldn't call him the Chuck Norris of the skies, but even if he were, he is not in the sky anymore. Unless he deliberately dropped out of society (which is very unlikely) he is definitely not fine.

[badpenny]

Search for Fossett to resume

January 2, 2008, 6:00 AM

The search for millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett, who borrowed an aircraft on Labor Day while staying at Barron Hilton's Flying M Ranch in southern Lyon County and never returned, will continue in some quarters.

"The search has not been called off, but suspended," said Gary Derks, operations officer for the Division of Emergency Management for the State of Nevada.

"We've got private organizations that are going to be out there as soon as (this) week. There's a lot of people out there still searching. Is the state putting people out there? No. But Mr. Fossett is not forgotten. It's still an ongoing search and will continue to be an on-going search until he's located."

The rest here:
http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/RC/20080102/News/609475841/-1/REGION

I saw another article where Steve’s wife Peggy has vowed NEVER to give up searching for him.

[Xena]

Way to go Peggy! And thanks badpenny. :)

[Stuball]

No disrespect intended but after 4 months it is very possible he has been eaten by animals

[badpenny]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/pennybad/Photographs/untitled.jpg


SPARKS, Nev., Jan. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The Steve Fossett World Land Speed Racing Team today announced it is actively seeking female candidates to drive their jet-powered car to a new Absolute Supersonic Land Speed Record in excess of 800MPH. A woman driver would be an excellent role model to inspire young women in all corners of the earth, as well as attract sponsorship from a wider market.

Despite the loss of their founder, the team remains committed to Fossett's vision and has finished assembling the car prompting the driver search. Historically, the driving chores have been handled by a man, but the Fossett LSR team believes a woman would be ideally suited for the task, especially since the ****pit was built on the small side.

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/01-16-2008/0004737441&EDATE=

[Xena]

Patty Wagstaff would be great :)

[badpenny]

Good idea, I didn't even think of her. I wonder what type shape she is in now since shes around 56?

[notluzn]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y150/pennybad/Photographs/untitled.jpg


SPARKS, Nev., Jan. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The Steve Fossett World Land Speed Racing Team today announced it is actively seeking female candidates to drive their jet-powered car to a new Absolute Supersonic Land Speed Record in excess of 800MPH. A woman driver would be an excellent role model to inspire young women in all corners of the earth, as well as attract sponsorship from a wider market.

Despite the loss of their founder, the team remains committed to Fossett's vision and has finished assembling the car prompting the driver search. Historically, the driving chores have been handled by a man, but the Fossett LSR team believes a woman would be ideally suited for the task, especially since the ****pit was built on the small side.

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/01-16-2008/0004737441&EDATE=
Single engine wont do it.

[badpenny]

Single engine wont do it.

And you revelation is opinion or fact based on what?

Less than 1/4th the drag of the current record holder, Thrust SSC.

We will see.

[waynevan]

No disrespect intended but after 4 months it is very possible he has been eaten by animals

For that matter 4 hours if he was killed in a crash. Nothing disrespectufl about it at all, just a fact.

[waynevan]

Single engine wont do it.

40,000 horsepower, what difference does it make how many engines it has if they can get the umph out of one? 40,000 ain't nuthin' to sneeze at.

[notluzn]

And you revelation is opinion or fact based on what?

Less than 1/4th the drag of the current record holder, Thrust SSC.

We will see. Drag or Not the amount of Power needed to just go past the SSC record is more than any single engine can do. I bet it wont happen with one engine. THe SSC has 110,000 HP

[notluzn]

40,000 horsepower, what difference does it make how many engines it has if they can get the umph out of one? 40,000 ain't nuthin' to sneeze at. HP is needed to break the berrier. More than 40,000 HP is needed to break it.

[badpenny]

Drag or Not the amount of Power needed to just go past the SSC record is more than any single engine can do. I bet it wont happen with one engine. THe SSC has 110,000 HP


I personally have no idea, we will see.

If you dont believe drag is a factor when attempting to reach MPH, you would be wrong.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=Wind+Resistance+&btnG=Search

[notluzn]

I personally have no idea, we will see.

If you dont believe drag is a factor when attempting to reach MPH, you would be wrong.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=Wind+Resistance+&btnG=Search Drag has a part of it but HP has a bigger part of it. They have already tried to use that equipment to hit the record. They failed. 676 mph. I think people fail to realize that it took another 60,000 HP to go 100 mph more.

[Xena]

Good idea, I didn't even think of her. I wonder what type shape she is in now since shes around 56?

She is always in shape. :)

When she went blonde, THAT was strange. :lol:

[Xena]

http://www.pattywagstaff.com/pfriends1.html

[badpenny]

Drag has a part of it but HP has a bigger part of it. They have already tried to use that equipment to hit the record. They failed. 676 mph. I think people fail to realize that it took another 60,000 HP to go 100 mph more.

In 1996, think technology has changed much since then?

Its also redesigned.

[badpenny]

http://www.pattywagstaff.com/pfriends1.html

Thank you for that link. :dance:

[badpenny]

Washington, DC – February 2008 – The Travel Industry Association (http://www.tia.org/) (TIA) has announced the creation of the first-ever Steve Fossett Innovation Award. Named for Fossett*, legendary aviator, explorer and pioneer, the honor will be presented each year at TravelCom to recognize a worldwide travel industry leader who has broken new ground, pushed boundaries and revolutionized the industry, leaving a legacy of long-lasting beneficial change.


The inaugural award will be presented to Virgin Atlantic Founder, Richard Branson, who will accept the award in honor of Steve Fossett, who was his close friend and fellow pioneer. The presentation will take place during the TravelCom08 show for eCommerce and marketing professionals being held in Chicago April 8-10.


:clap:

http://hospitality-1st.com/PressNews/TIA-871-020508.html

[Samm]

Patty Wagstaff would be great :)

I think Angelle Sampey ... this thing is supposed to stay on the ground. Besides, Patty is getting a little long in the tooth for this sort of thing anymore.

[Samm]

Drag or Not the amount of Power needed to just go past the SSC record is more than any single engine can do. I bet it wont happen with one engine. THe SSC has 110,000 HP

Wind drag increases with the square of speed; everything else being equal, 1/4 the drag = 1/16 the power to reach the same speed.

[badpenny]

While friends and family gathered last week to remember missing aviator Steve Fossett, Carson City resident Mike Larson and a couple of his colleagues quietly were conducting their own private search in remote areas of Nevada.

Larson, a 30-veteran of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation who is skilled in surveying, mapping, planning and civil engineering, started collecting technical data in December. He and two others have since been out in the desert on their ATVs with GPS units in hand, searching possible crash sites.
"We have a good process and method for our approach," Larson said. "If this is a legitimate wreck ... there's a good possibility to find them. We're going to continue searching until we've exhausted all leads."

"I have found 'needles in haystacks' for a living as a lands surveyor and am intrigued to offer my past experience for this leisure endeavor," he said.

Larson already has pieced together a timeline of Fossett's flight up until just after 10 a.m. on the day he left on a leisure flight. At 11 a.m., two separate witnesses recalled seeing a plane like Fossett's in the Sunrise Pass area of Douglas County.

Heres The Rest--->http://www.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080323/NEWS/803230357/1321

[Xena]

Thanks BP.

[badpenny]

You're welcome, hopefully he will be found soon and many questions answered. :pray:

[Lee Kington]

Drag or Not the amount of Power needed to just go past the SSC record is more than any single engine can do. I bet it wont happen with one engine. THe SSC has 110,000 HP Samm mentioned drag and its effects on power requirements. A very valid piece of the puzzle. In addition to drag created by (design) frontal surfaces both vehicles require(d) induced drag to create downforce for stability. The Eagle is 35% lighter then the Thrust SSC hence being lighter it will take less energy (force) to accelerate the mass and the required rate of acceleration is what commands the most from power requirement. F = ma

In real simple basic terms Eagle would require 35% less power to achieve the same rate of acceleration or 70,000 HP. ..... IF all other factors were equal.

[Xena]

New search under way for pilot Steve Fossett (http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/07/14/fossett.search.ap/index.html?iref=newssearch)

updated 8:15 a.m. EDT, Mon July 14, 2008

BRIDGEPORT, California (AP) -- A 10-member team of elite athletes and expert mountaineers hopes to do what search planes and satellite imagery couldn't -- find Steve Fossett's body.

The multimillionaire adventurer was declared legally dead in February, five months after he was last seen taking off by plane from a remote Nevada ranch owned by hotel magnate Barron Hilton.

The search team, led by geologist and adventure racer Simon Donato, will focus on remote, wooded areas near where the 63-year-old Fossett was last seen -- areas that could have concealed wreckage from the crews of the many private and military planes that searched last year.

"Whether we luck out and find the wreckage or not, at least our tracks will be preserved so that in the future if someone wants to give this a try, they'll know where we already were and they can go to the next mountain range over," Donato said in a weekend interview at a base camp between the Bodie Hills and Sweetwater Mountains.

The search area, with peaks ranging from 10,000 to more than 11,000 feet in elevation, is just east of the even higher Sierra Nevada and about 110 miles south of Reno, Nevada. Because the area is close to Hilton's ranch, where Fossett was staying, Donato believes it's the best place to search.

Search team members, who are paying their own way, began arriving Friday to set up camp. The team will continue its efforts through this coming Friday and possibly Saturday, covering 15 to 20 miles a day depending on the terrain, Donato said.

<snip>

[Dreamy]

Adventurer Steve Fossett 'may have faked his own death'

Round-the-world flying adventurer Steve Fossett may have faked his own death, investigators have claimed.

By Chris Irvine
Last Updated: 1:02AM BST 28 Jul 2008


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2462912/Adventurer-Steve-Fossett-%27may-have-faked-his-own-death%27.html

I offer the report,you decide. Motive for this action if true anyone?

[badpenny]

WOW, I don't know what to say.

Hes destined to join the folklore along with D.B. Cooper, The Bermuda Triangle and Amelia Earhart.

Seriously, I cannot imagine what possible motive he would have.

[BillBrown]

WOW, I don't know what to say.

Hes destined to join the folklore along with D.B. Cooper, The Bermuda Triangle and Amelia Earhart.

Seriously, I cannot imagine what possible motive he would have.

A $50 million insurance policy?

[RTchoke]

A $50 million insurance policy?

Why would a large insurance policy be a motive? It's not like HE is going to get the money from it, and I'm pretty sure his wife didn't need the money.


However, Lieutenant Colonel Cynthia Ryan of the US Civil Air Patrol has said Fossett, whose body or plane was never found, could still be alive.

She said: "I've been doing this search and rescue for 14 years. Fossett should have been found.

"It's not like we didn't have our eyes open. We found six other planes while we were looking for him. We're pretty good at what we do."


So her only reasoning for stating he is still alive is that they haven't found him yet? The fact they found six other planes previously not found in searches (one had crashed in the 60's) tells me he could still be out there and no matter how good she thinks she is, maybe they just haven't found him yet because they haven't stumbled onto the right area.

I really can't see a motive for him to do that and it doesn't serve the family well to drag this up.

[BillBrown]

Why would a large insurance policy be a motive? It's not like HE is going to get the money from it, and I'm pretty sure his wife didn't need the money.



So her only reasoning for stating he is still alive is that they haven't found him yet? The fact they found six other planes previously not found in searches (one had crashed in the 60's) tells me he could still be out there and no matter how good she thinks she is, maybe they just haven't found him yet because they haven't stumbled onto the right area.

I really can't see a motive for him to do that and it doesn't serve the family well to drag this up.

If he's alive and faked his death he might get the money.

I don't think anyone alive will tell you they don't need $50 million.

[RTchoke]

If he's alive and faked his death he might get the money.

I don't think anyone alive will tell you they don't need $50 million.

How? His wife gonna mail him a check??

[BillBrown]

How? His wife gonna mail him a check??

I wouldn't know.
What I do know is that if he's alive, his wife can get money to him.
There are many offshore banks that do not and will not report transactions to governments. There are countries in Europe and the Caribbean who's economy is built on banking secrecy.

[Dreamy]

WOW, I don't know what to say.

Hes destined to join the folklore along with D.B. Cooper, The Bermuda Triangle and Amelia Earhart.

Seriously, I cannot imagine what possible motive he would have.

Me either but unless and until a body or some remains are found I think he will join the others you named above.


I considered this could be someone trying to start a rumor for some book or movie material. Who knows.

[RTchoke]

I wouldn't know.
What I do know is that if he's alive, his wife can get money to him.
There are many offshore banks that do not and will not report transactions to governments. There are countries in Europe and the Caribbean who's economy is built on banking secrecy.

In other words, you're saying his family is in on it and are pulling off a big fraud. I can't imagine that. But that's just me. I would rather have my hubby than a check, no matter how whopping big that check is.

[BillBrown]

In other words, you're saying his family is in on it and are pulling off a big fraud. I can't imagine that. But that's just me. I would rather have my hubby than a check, no matter how whopping big that check is.

I'm not saying that. The question was asked why the guy might want to fake his own death. I answered with one possibility.

[Dreamy]

I'm not saying that. The question was asked why the guy might want to fake his own death. I answered with one possibility.

Yes Bill I did ask for offerings of motive. And that could be one if this story is true.

[RTchoke]

I'm not saying that. The question was asked why the guy might want to fake his own death. I answered with one possibility.

But in order for your possibility (the insurance policy) to be plausible he would have to benefit from that. Otherwise an insurance policy does him no good, and in order to get any money from it someone (his wife) would have to be in on it in order to give him a payout. Just because he had a large policy is not reason enough to assume he faked his death any more than not finding him automatically means he must be alive.

[BillBrown]

But in order for your possibility (the insurance policy) to be plausible he would have to benefit from that. Otherwise an insurance policy does him no good, and in order to get any money from it someone (his wife) would have to be in on it in order to give him a payout. Just because he had a large policy is not reason enough to assume he faked his death any more than not finding him automatically means he must be alive.

I'm not assuming he did anything.
I answered a question of why he MIGHT have wanted to fake his own death.
I have no idea whether he did or not.

[badpenny]

Adventurer Steve Fossett's widow dismisses faked death claims

A lawyer for Peggy Fossett, widow of the aviation adventurer Steve Fossett, has dismissed claims he may have faked his own death.

Sir Richard said he didn’t believe the reports: “I think its absolute crap. I wish it was true but it isn’t. I wish he was in South America with some beautiful girls but he isn’t.

“What did he have to gain? His poor wife has inherited all his money. And any insurance has gone to her. Its just not true.”

http://tinyurl.com/64ylk6

[Dreamy]

Adventurer Steve Fossett's widow dismisses faked death claims

A lawyer for Peggy Fossett, widow of the aviation adventurer Steve Fossett, has dismissed claims he may have faked his own death.

Sir Richard said he didn’t believe the reports: “I think its absolute crap. I wish it was true but it isn’t. I wish he was in South America with some beautiful girls but he isn’t.

“What did he have to gain? His poor wife has inherited all his money. And any insurance has gone to her. Its just not true.”

http://tinyurl.com/64ylk6 (http://tinyurl.com/64ylk6)

I would tend to believe the wife on this one. But the doubt is out there now. A body or remains is all that can stop the rumors. Thanks for the update BP.

[DLaw911]

From an article:Lt-Col Ryan believes Mr Fossett may have faked his own death due to personal problems or fears about his business dealings, the Telegraph has reported.


Investigators have found that the 63-year-old had cheated on his wife with two mistresses, Herald Sun reported.

They also questioned Mr Fossett's financial situation and his choice of a light aircraft for the flight, the New Zealand Herald has reported.
Only one witness claims to have seen Mr Fossett take off that day. He claims Mr Fossett asked him to prepare the plane for take-off, even though he had never allowed anyone else to do this before.
Also, despite a lifetime's experience in flying, the man supposedly set off on the three-hour flight in just T-shirt and shorts with no parachute or his regular global positioning system watchMaybe he had money stashed away and really is with a mistress knowing his wife will be well taken care of by insurance money.

[Xena]

I'm sorry that I posted an update. :confused:

[badpenny]

2-week hunt finds no trace of Fossett

Thursday, September 11, 2008

If you're the famous aviator Steve Fossett, two dozen people who know you are dead will still hunt for you anyway.
They'll get excited at finding scraps of blue cloth in the Nevada desert, and chunks of rusted metal. And even after they give up, they'll vow to come back.

That's how things sat Wednesday, as the latest and most promising team to attempt this summer to find the millionaire adventurer and the wreckage of his airplane called it quits after two weeks.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/11/BA0M12RL91.DTL





Biggest search for Fossett ends
September 11, 2008

CARSON CITY - The biggest search this year for Steve Fossett has ground to a halt with team members leaving a rugged mountain area without finding any sign of the aviator-adventurer, who has been missing for a year. Detailed information on the areas searched will be turned over to local authorities, who helped the 28member team with data amassed in the extensive hunt conducted last year after Fossett disappeared during a pleasure flight in a borrowed plane. The team, which had been looking since Aug. 23, focused on canyons in the Wassuk Range about 130 miles south of Reno. (AP)

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/09/11/biggest_search_for_fossett_ends/




Very disappointing to say the least. :frown:

[badpenny]

Steve Fossett Items Found in Mammoth Lakes, CA: FAA ID Cards?

Items belonging to Steve Fossett, an aviator who's been missing for over a year, have been found by a California couple in the woods.

The couple was hiking in Mammoth Lakes, California, when they found FAA ID cards belonging to Steve Fossett - and police are saying the cards are not forged.

A search of the area has not turned up any further evidence of the pilot.

http://www.postchronicle.com/news/original/article_212175845.shtml

[JeffR]

The plot thickens.

I wonder if we will ever determine what happened.

[ImNewHere]

Belongings, but no plane? I suspect foul play.

[jimjames418]

Belongings, but no plane? I suspect foul play.
Searchers find wreckage possibly belonging to Fossett (http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/02/steve.fossett.search/?iref=hpmostpop)
CNN - 1 hour ago
(CNN) -- Search teams looking for millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett may have found the wreckage of the plane he was flying when he disappeared more than a year ago.

[badpenny]

It is the plane Steve was flying.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_oIpvrJAGE

Fox just showed the first pictures and the plane is in small pieces most likely from a high speed impact.


At least his friends and family will have some closure, hopefully.

[Samm]

Belongings, but no plane? I suspect foul play.

I've been wondering... why was he carrying all those $100 bills if he was just out for a sight-seeing flight? ...and what was he doing so far west of where he said he was going? It's not like a man of his flying skill would have wandered off course. Could this be another John Delorean thing gone bad?

[DaGooseMon]

I've been wondering... why was he carrying all those $100 bills if he was just out for a sight-seeing flight? ...and what was he doing so far west of where he said he was going? It's not like a man of his flying skill would have wandered off course. Could this be another John Delorean thing gone bad?

You're suggesting some sort of drug deal? :confused: Seriously?

Maybe once he got up there, he thought, "you know, I never fly over there. I wonder what's over there? I'll check it out."


I think that is more likely than some drug conspiracy.

[ImNewHere]

I'm going with the disgruntled airplane mechanic tampering with the engine to make it look like an accident theory.

[notluzn]

RIP Steve

[Xena]

NTSB Advisory
National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594
October 3, 2008

NTSB MEDIA BRIEFING SCHEDULED FOR 12:00 PM PDT TODAY ON FOSSETT AIRPLANE WRECKAGE FOUND IN CALIFORNIA

The National Transportation Safety Board will hold its third press briefing today at 12:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on its investigation into the crash of the plane, piloted by adventurer Steve Fossett, missing since September 3, 2007. NTSB Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker will conduct the briefing.

The briefing will be held at the Westin Monache, Mammoth, at 50 Hillside Drive, Mammoth Lakes, California.

http://www.ntsb.gov/Pressrel/2008/081003.html

[Xena]

Good cover on FNC

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,432134,00.html

[badpenny]

Thanks for those links Xena. :clap:

[Xena]

Thanks for those links Xena. :clap:

Back at ya :)

[Samm]

You're suggesting some sort of drug deal? :confused: Seriously?

Maybe once he got up there, he thought, "you know, I never fly over there. I wonder what's over there? I'll check it out."


I think that is more likely than some drug conspiracy.

Not necessarily... I just posed that question. But why was he carrying a **** load of $100 bills?

[jimjames418]

Not necessarily... I just posed that question. But why was he carrying a **** load of $100 bills?
Because he had billions of dollars maybe. I know a man who will not go out his door without at least $1,500 in cash on him. I keep telling him he is crazy to do so, but he grew up in the 1930's when cash was king. :think:

[badpenny]

Not necessarily... I just posed that question. But why was he carrying a **** load of $100 bills?

Do you believe 10 bills of any denomination in your purse, pocket or billfold is excessive?

Right now I have 1 one hundred, 10 ones, 6 twenty's and 5 fives.

A total of 23 bills.

A billionaire has 10 one hundred dollar bills and you thing thats excessive?

Not hardly.

[Samm]

Do you believe 10 bills of any denomination in your purse, pocket or billfold is excessive?

Right now I have 1 one hundred, 10 ones, 6 twenty's and 5 fives.

A total of 23 bills.

A billionaire has 10 one hundred dollar bills and you thing thats excessive?

Not hardly.
Only 10? Ok... if that is all there were. I was under the impression that it was scores of 100s and there was no mention of smaller bills. But on the other hand, if they found 10 a quarter of a mile from the crash site, how many may have been scattered to the wind and were not found? The article you linked does not make any mention of a wallet that might have contained them.

[sgtmac_46]

I've been wondering... why was he carrying all those $100 bills if he was just out for a sight-seeing flight? ...and what was he doing so far west of where he said he was going? It's not like a man of his flying skill would have wandered off course. Could this be another John Delorean thing gone bad? If I were a billionaire i'd walk around with $10,000.00 in cash....100 $100 bills......just in case I saw something I wanted to buy and they wouldn't take a check or credit card......for a billionaire that's just walkin' around money......foldin' cash. ;)

Billionaires wipe their *** with $100.00 bills.

[Xena]

I finally found the audio when Fossett made the first solo non-stop airplane flight around the world. I put it up on Send Space for downloading:

Global Flyer March 03, 2005 Fossett you're a stud.mp3 (http://www.sendspace.com/file/q0nbo5) :clap:

[jimjames418]

If I were a billionaire i'd walk around with $10,000.00 in cash....100 $100 bills......just in case I saw something I wanted to buy and they wouldn't take a check or credit card......for a billionaire that's just walkin' around money......foldin' cash. ;)

Billionaires wipe their *** with $100.00 bills.
Be careful. Remember when Rush got in trouble for "money laundering" when he withdrew $10,000 in cash for "walking around money".

[Samm]

If I were a billionaire i'd walk around with $10,000.00 in cash....100 $100 bills......just in case I saw something I wanted to buy and they wouldn't take a check or credit card......for a billionaire that's just walkin' around money......foldin' cash. ;)

Billionaires wipe their *** with $100.00 bills.

I suppose, but Fossett was not a billionaire.

[Xena]

multi-millionaire, but who's counting? :)

[Samm]

multi-millionaire, but who's counting? :)

A million dollars is not what it used to be... most upper middle class people are worth more than 1 million when you tally up their assets - it takes being a multi-millionaire to be considered rich.

I find no information of how much of Fossett's wealth was liquid and how much was tied up in property or his many projects. Many multi-millionaires are one bad investment away from bankruptcy.

[Xena]

A million dollars is not what it used to be... most upper middle class people are worth more than 1 million when you tally up their assets - it takes being a multi-millionaire to be considered rich.

I find no information of how much of Fossett's wealth was liquid and how much was tied up in property or his many projects. Many multi-millionaires are one bad investment away from bankruptcy.

Seen a few of them go down in flames.

Did you miss the download I posted here yesterday? It was when Steve went around the world in 2005 and the other pilots and ATC peeps congratulated him?

It was really cool:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/q0nbo5

[badpenny]

Steve Fossett: What Went Wrong Is Coming to the Discovery Channel

Soon after Steve Fossett’s personal belongings were discovered in the California Mountains, The Discovery Channel announced that they would produce a documentary special on the missing billionaire explorer. According to Variety, a day hiker named Preston Morrow had come across a number of items that belonged to Fossett, and he convinced some of the nearby Mammoth Lake townsfolk to go searching for the billionaire.

Steve Searles, star of LMNO Productions The Bear Whisperer, which airs on the Discovery Channel, and an LMNO cameraman were invited to tag along as Morrow and the others went looking for Fossett. Before the crew set out, LMNO’s Eric Schotz made a quick call to the Discovery Channel and in moments had secured a deal to document the find for a new special entitled Steve Fossett: What Went Wrong.

http://www.movieweb.com/news/NEKLZOLOjbP9OS



Extra info.
http://tvdecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/02/when-steve-fossetts-effects-were-found-a-tv-crew-was-nearby/




Just saw the advertisement on Discovery. This Documentary special is set to air Monday 10:00pm Eastern.

[ManOfFaith]

Perhaps if he felt that he earned his keep, he wouldn't have been so adventurous. Just a rich kid. Who cares?

[badpenny]

Perhaps if he felt that he earned his keep, he wouldn't have been so adventurous. Just a rich kid. Who cares?
:rolleyes:

[Xena]

Dec 01, 10:00 pm
(60 minutes)

Steve Fossett: What Went Wrong?

TV-PG

It's the shocking story of the mysterious disappearance and death of the greatest aviator in the world: Steve Fossett. The crash, the questions, and the haunting answers you've never heard... until now.

http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-schedules/special.html?paid=1.14617.25959.0.0

Repeats Dec 02, 2:00 am

[Xena]

Way to go BadPenny! For some reason, he was told not to troll, but . . . :rolleyes:

[Samm]

.

Who is that Xena... Angie Dickinson? She was hot when she first hit the big screen... particularly when packing a gun. ;)

[Xena]

Who is that Xena... Angie Dickinson? She was hot when she first hit the big screen... particularly when packing a gun. ;)

That is Angie in Police Woman, a pretty good TV show 1974-1978. I just got Police Woman on DVD. It held up pretty well.