Millionaire Adventurer Fossett's Plane Missing

To paraphrase Hawaii-50, stuff it, Dano.

You're right, sarcasm isn't my greatest talent. My greatest talent is my irrational hero worship of Steve Fossett. I'm being sincere now. You've convinced me OK! Steve Fossett, from this point on, should be worshiped as a deity. His very image will provoke grown men to weep tears of blood and women to become spontaneously pregnant. His correspondence will be preserved and studied for a thousand years as the NEW Holy Bible. Then, at last, he will return to earth and lay waste to the non-believers and carry the righteous to heaven!

Sarcasm is not your most sterling talent, Dano.
It's just as well you quit while you were behind.

OK, I give up. Steve Fossett is/was the greatest man who ever lived! He strode the world like a colossus and was was stronger than 100 men. He could jump tall buildings in a single bound and he bent iron bars with his bare hands. I heard that once he fought a grizzly bear and kicked its ass. He was also a super genius that, on more than one occasion, made Steven Hawking cry like a little girl when he proved his theories to be wrong. Future generations will tremble with awe and fear at the mere mention of his name. Steve Fossett: The Super-Duper Man!

And just what has Julius Caesar done for you lately, Dano?

Steve Fossett puts his money into experimental aircraft, boats and land craft. And he puts his life on the line. The records he holds not only put his name in history books but their accomplishment are a result of technology he invests in. This technology will make flight, space travel or even driving a car safer, more economical and affordable for even you gum balls who are trashing him. Maybe you should do a little reading about what he and Burt Rutan and Branson are doing. http://www.scaled.com/projects/index.html It's sure not lounging on yachts, sucking up caviar.

Will someone please tell me if this guy was a Republican or Democrat so I can know how to feel?

I always saw Fossett as a slightly ridiculous figure. An aging rich guy chasing meaninless aviation records ( Balloon circumnavigation? Around the world on a single tank of gas? Greatest altitude to eat a pizza?)

A rich grown man with a death wish... who gives a shit. Bubye.

Funny how the trolls all bow to these billionaires no matter what they do. Seriously, you guys really need to get out more.
I just cant get worked up by billionaires' spending millions upon millions indulging their fantastical whims - basically because they have consumed everything in sight and are bored shitless. It's like 'Fight Club' for the rich, you gotta risk your life to feel alive.

I hope the guy is found safe , if not there are plenty other rich folk around, bored to bits who are willing to indulge the same fantasies.

Thats wht adventurers do. Get lost.

Where is the story here?

Maybe he landed to try some extreme weather camping. He always loved extreme challenges.

It is too bad. Kind of a mystery too.
That type of plane has an ELT.
The Emergency Locator Transmitter should give his position away easily, providing it was maintained properly. It takes very little to maintain one.
It will not be hard to find him if it is working.
The Decathalon is a able to land on very rough ground at about 50 mph or less.
It maintains stability and control at it's slowest speeds. It glides well. It has a strong frame and springy landing gear.
Any fairly experienced pilot would have no problem surviving an engine failure in one of those planes, especially in the desert.
The plane has NO bad tendencies.
It comes down with engine out like a stork carrying a baby.
It is very odd he was not home before the news made the airwaves.
If I had to guess, I would say the poor man had a massive stroke or fatal heart attack.
If they find it nose down and burnt up so the ELT burned too, failing to transmit position, the only possible cause would be that he died before he hit the ground.

Great man and a great pilot.

The plane that he was flying, a Citabria, (airbatic spelled backwards), has an extremely slow stalling speed, around 35 mph. Virtually anyone could survive a crash in such a rugged and slow flying plane, also this time of year exposure would not be a problem.

The plane is fabric covered and is quite tough, certified for 6gs positive and 3gs negative.

I say this as reason to believe that he is OK, its simply not an airplane that kills many people. Also there is no mention of the ELT (Emergency Locator Transmitter) an electronic device that all American planes carry that is triggered automatically in the event of a crash, it pinpoints one's location to a few yards.

Fossett is still around.

Good luck to the guy, but if he bought the farm, you know he went out with his boots on.