Adventurer Steve Fossett is to pilot the Scaled Composites/Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer across Africa Feb. 9, following a harrowing takeoff and initial cockpit problems Feb. 8 at the start of the planned longest flight in history.

Fossett's takeoff from Kennedy Space Center, Fla., required 11,500 feet of runway. This was at least 1,500 feet more than predicted, even with a 10-knot headwind and temperatures at 47 degrees Fahrenheit. The Kennedy space shuttle runway is 15,000 feet long with another 1,000 feet of paved overrun, and using nearly 12,000 feet of it left precious little margin for safety.

Fossett's "V1" go/no-go decision point was at 7,000 feet, and the longer roll frightened both he and onlookers. With a 22,000 pound takeoff weight, Fossett was committed at the 7,000 feet point in the roll to either fly, or in effect run off the end of the runway, crashing into the large ditch that surrounds the strip. That would have meant almost certain death given the aircraft's 18,200-pound fuel load.

"Takeoff was a bit scary to say the least," Fossett radioed from GlobalFlyer.

Immediately after the late rotation, GlobalFlyer also hit two birds, one striking the left wing in the port boom fuel tank area and the other possibly on the right wing.

The birds, found dead on the Kennedy runway, were Black-Breasted Plovers, each weighing about 30 ounces with 12-inch wingspans. Scaled Composites engineers and pilots on Beech Starship chase aircraft performed a detailed inspection of the GlobalFlyer as it headed out over the Atlantic and found no sign of the bird strikes.

Then Fossett had trouble with cockpit temperatures that temporarily soared to 130 degrees Fahrenheit, threatening his life and temporarily causing cockpit instrumentation to fail. Had the temperatures remained high, Fossett would have been forced to at least return to Kennedy for an emergency landing or bail out or ditch at sea. Fossett was able to correct the temperature problem and continue across the Atlantic.

By dawn Eastern time Feb. 9 as he crosses the African coast nearly 24 hours after his 7:22 a.m. Eastern time takeoff, Fossett is to finally complete the climb to his cruising altitude of 45,000 feet.

He is also facing potential problems with winds aloft. Fossett needs tailwinds of about 70-90 knots to achieve his 26,000-mile circuit, including a second Atlantic crossing followed by a night landing at Kent International Airport late Feb. 11 London time. But the forecasts for global jetstream wind speed and direction are marginal for GlobalFlyer to received the needed tailwind help.

"We are showing very little to nil margin to making the range necessary to get to Kent," said Jon Karkow, the Scaled composites chief engineer for the flight. There is a "big concern that we might not be able to make it to Kent."