Fossett to take off from Nfld. in biplane today
CTV.ca News Staff

American adventurers Steve Fossett and his co-pilot Mark Rebholz are preparing to take off from St. John's, Nfld. Saturday night, in an attempt to recreate a historic crossing over the Atlantic.

The two pilots will attempt to fly their Vickers Vimy biplane directly to Clifden, Ireland, following the route first flown nearly nine decades ago by John Alcock and Arthur Brown.

In 1919, the landmark journey became the first non-stop transatlantic flight in an open cockpit plane.

Fossett and Rebholz have been grounded in Newfoundland since June 9, holding out for good flying weather.

If current weather conditions hold, Fossett and Rebholz will depart at 7 p.m. local time.

It's estimated the 3,150-kilometre trip could take 22 hours to complete.

"This is a very slow airplane," Fossett said earlier in the month, appearing on CTV's Canada AM.

"So we will be flying about 130 kilometres an hour."

In contrast, Fossett made aviation history when he took less than 70 hours to circumnavigate the entire globe last March.

In addition to this distinction, Fossett also holds a number of other record-setting achievements, including the first round-the-world solo balloon flight.

But he has said this feat is more dangerous than his other achievements, because there is nowhere to stop in case of trouble.

"It's all water from St. John's to Clifden, Ireland. We're too far away from Greenland or Iceland to use them as an alternate. So we either have to make it all the way to Ireland or we have to turn back to St. John's," he said.