On March 3, 2005 after covering 23,000 miles in 67 hours, Steve
Fossett became the first person to fly around the world alone in a
plane without stopping or refuelling. Fossett, 60, holds many other
records as a balloonist, pilot and sailor.

“I’m a really lucky guy now, I got to achieve my
ambition,” the 60-year-old millionaire said after stepping out
of the cramped capsule in which he had spent nearly three days.
“It was a difficult trip … one of the hardest things
I've ever done, to be on duty for three days, day and night,
with virtually no sleep. It was an endurance test,” Fossett
said.

While Fossett is the first to make the flight alone, it will not
enter the record books since the Paris-based Federation
Aeronautique Internationale has said it does not have a separate
category for solo pilots.

Fossett's team however had said they hoped to qualify for
distance and speed records, which remain to be certified.