It took ten years of flying, balloon design changes and good weather patterns to finally make it around the world.  Steve was undaunted in this task…despite failure. 

I like that word UNDAUNTED – not discouraged, not disheartened…that’s how I see Steve Fossett, undaunted, never abandoning purpose.  I admire that. 

In July of 2002, The Boss made it around the world in a balloon!  What a great feat….his great feats continued and the list of records increased.  Most of these records will stand the test of time.  His sense of financial timing, mental focus, physical abilities and aviation skills are rare. Steve was a unique individual…someone that you meet only once in a lifetime.

Over the Labor Day Holiday I got a call about Steve not returning to the Flying M Ranch.  To me, it wasn’t a huge panic, years ago I had gotten a call concerning the EPIRB beacon when Steve went down in the Coral Sea on one of the around the world balloon attempts.  Just because one beacon of two went off…doesn’t mean he’s in danger, he might have accidentally triggered it…you know Steve was a bit of a klutz with electronic stuff – The Coral Sea proved to be no match for Steve Fossett and he was quickly rescued by a passing sailboat and provided with hot food and much needed rest.

But at the Flying M things were different… I was convinced that The Boss had just put down somewhere and was waiting on the side of a mountain to be picked up…and was probably a little out of sorts with why it was taking so long and he had to hunker down for a few cold nights…the fact that no beacon signal was detected is not unusual in my book.  I believed he would soon be found hiking out of the mountains and have another great adventure to tell over dinner…the Boss told such great stories.

September moves to October, then November and I’m in denial about Steve’s disappearance,…we all know how long and hopeless those days were…it wasn’t until November 2^nd at the Spreading Wings Gala Tribute hosted in Denver at the Wings Over the Rockies Museum that I realized The Boss was gone.  He wasn’t coming back…he was the one that always made the events fun, exciting and fulfilling - no matter if it was at a hangar in the middle of nowhere or a gala event in the city. Steve Fossett keeps the spirit of freedom and adventure alive in all of us. He has touched all of us here today and his sense of adventure will continue to inspire and fuel our dreams.  It took sometime but now I finally know this guy Steve Fossett as my friend and my hero.