October 8th marked five weeks now that Steve Fossett has been missing. Though the search continues for Mr. Fossett and his Bellanca Super Decathlon, the efforts have been greatly scaled back and experts are now predicting the worst.
Steve Fossett held over 100 records in five different sports from sailing to flying to (most notably) ballooning. Arguably his best achievement was circumnavigating the globe solo in The Spirit of Freedom, over the course of thirteen days in 2002.
In his disappearance, Fossett joins the likes of other aeronautical figures such as Amelia Earhart, Fred Noonan and Antoine de Saint Exupéry who were lost in the clouds and never seen again.
Stories swirl and theories rage around the disappearance of each respective pilot, from rumors of spying to new assumed identities. And through these stories the explorers live on, a ghostly air of mystery to each adventure we recount.
Perhaps it is best that we never find Steve Fossett. For those of us who knew you and followed your accomplishments, you will always be exploring.