Fossett reaches midpoint, heads out over Pacific

American adventurer Steve Fossett crossed the halfway point in what promises to be the longest flight in aviation history tonight, and then he set out on a lengthy pass over the vast Pacific Ocean.

Fossett, 61, flew over Japan at an altitude of about 45,000 feet and then began a 16- to 17-hour trip over the largest of the world's five oceans.

In fact, the Pacific is about 15 times the size of the entire United States, covers nearly 30 percent of the surface of the globe and is larger than the total land mass of Earth.

Fossett plans to vector to the southeast, heading toward the Hawaiian Islands, which would serve as an emergency landing site if serious problems cropped up in flight.

It also would be a potential stopping point if Fossett and his Mission Control staff decided that weak tailwinds and a loss of fuel earlier in the flight would make it improbable or impossible to complete a planned 26,160-mile journey.

Global jet streams typically die down at Hawaii and tailwinds over the Atlantic Ocean -- which Fossett would have to cross a second time -- are forecast to be weak.

At this point, though, Fossett still is aiming to land Saturday at Kent International Airport outside London.