GlobalFlyer headed toward Japan

With the sun rising in the Eastern Hemisphere, Steve Fossett is piloting the Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer over the East China Sea, heading toward Nagasaki, Japan.

The experimental plane is jetting along at an altitude of 45,244 feet. Velocity is 341 knots. And project officials are hoping that strong tailwinds over the Pacific Ocean help compensate for the loss earlier in the flight of 750 pounds of fuel.

That amount essentially equals the fuel reserves project officials thought GlobalFlyer would have at the end of Fossett's 26,160-mile voyage, which he aims to end Saturday with a landing at Kent International Airport outside London.

Jon Karkow, chief project engineer from aircraft manufacturer Scaled Composites LLC of Mojave, Calif., said in a statement that the fuel loss has left Fossett with no margin for error.

Jet stream conditions over the Atlantic Ocean, meanwhile, are weak, so it appears Fossett will have a crucial decision to make Friday: Whether to risk a second crossing of the Atlantic or cut short his attempt to set a new record for the longest flight in aviation history.