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From Fossett's press agents.

 

Delore and Fossett Capture New Glider Distance World Record

 

2002.44 Kms Out and Return Distance Record - plus 2 other World

Records by pair - set benchmark as summer gliding season starts in

the Andes

 

http://www.fossettchallenge.com/pics/glider_news_page/gliderPilots.jpg

 

17 November 2003 Esquel, Argentina - Brilliantly exploiting the

mountain wave in the lee of the Andes range, the team of Terry Delore

(NZL) and Steve Fossett (USA) this weekend (Fri 14 Nov) put up an

outstanding new glider world record for Out and Return Distance of

2002.44 Kilometers (pending FAI ratification), adding nearly 300 Kms

to the previous mark (1715.5 Km - Dec.2002) by German Klaus Ohlmann,

the world's most dominant distance glider pilot.

 

Delore and Fossett are among the world's top glider pilots gathered

for the Argentine summer season which runs through January - and have

laid down an impressive new benchmark.

 

Klaus Ohlmann also set out at daybreak on Friday, trying to improve

his old record to 2000 Km. He chose to fly south from the Argentine

resort town of San Martin de los Andes. The team of Delore and Fossett

opted to fly North from the Patagonian village of Esquel. Their

northern Out and Return route proved to be the better course that day,

with current record-holder Ohlmann unable to regain his start point,

landing for the night at Esquel. Thus, the German was on hand to

congratulate Delore and Fossett Saturday morning (see

www.fossettchallenge.com for photo). A third glider piloted by Dieter

Memmert also tried the southern route, but he too was unable to make

it back to his start point. Other top glider pilots for the 2003-4

Argentine season include Manfred Albrecht (GER) - already flying - and

Jean-Marie Clement (ITA) and Philippe Autheil (USA) - both expected to

arrive shortly.

 

In the Open Class of highest performance gliders there are only 17

recognized World Records - 6 for Distance, 9 for Speed, and 2 for

Altitude.

 

Delore and Fossett's big day in the sky captured a total of 3 world

records. In addition to the outright Out and Return distance mark,

they also established a new 'Out and Return Distance to a Pre-declared

Goal' Record at 1804.7 Km - plus a new Speed Record for 1500 Km (avg

speed of 156.61 Km/h), breaking previous records by Ohlmann of 1708.4

Km and 136.82 Km/h, respectively. Subject to ratification by the FAI

(Fédération Aéronautique Internationale), the team of Delore and

Fossett now hold 2 of the Distance Records and 4 of the Speed Records.

Terry Delore also holds a fifth Speed Record - 300 Km Triangle - set

before he teamed up with Steve Fossett one year ago.

 

Targeting to fly higher - as well as farther and faster - in gliders,

Fossett is also aiming for the daunting Glider World Altitude Record

(14,938 m - 49,009' set 17 years ago by American Bob Harris) having

made 4 unsuccessful attempts so far in the USA and New Zealand in 2002

and 2003 with co-pilot Einar Enevoldson (USA) in their 'Perlan

Project' research glider. Steve and the 'Perlan' team return to New

Zealand in June of 2004 for another try at this enduring record.

 

All of Steve Fossett's adventure challenges are supported by Michelob

ULTRA, the new low-carbohydrate premium beer from Anheuser-Busch, the

world's largest brewer