Pilot Steve Fossett Breaks Flight Record

Pilot Steve Fossett lifts off from the runway in the Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer aircraft as he attempts a record breaking flight from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2006. Credit: AP Photo/John Raoux. Click to enlarge.

Pilot Steve Fossett is set to fly the Global Flyer aircraft seen here around the world in a record setting flight to begin at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Credit: Virgin Atlantic/Global Flyer/Scaled Composites. Click to enlarge.

Pilot Steve Fossett and the Virgin Atlantic Airways GlobalFlyer aircraft are set to begin their record-setting around the world flight from NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility. Credit: NASA/KSC. Click to enlarge.

MANSTON, England (AP) - Adventurer Steve Fossett completed the longest nonstop flight in aviation history Saturday after journeying around the globe - and then some - in about 80 hours.

Ground control said Fossett, 61, broke the airplane distance record of 24,987 miles while his lightweight experimental plane was flying over Shannon, Ireland.

He is expected to complete his epic voyage just after noon EST when he lands at a British military air strip in Kent, southern England.

The millionaire adventurer broke the record during 3 1/2 days of flying despite losing about 750 pounds of fuel during takeoff from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida because of a leak.

Weak winds over the Atlantic and severe turbulence over India - which, at one point, forced Fossett to strap on a parachute - prompted fears Fossett would have to ditch his record-breaking attempt in Newfoundland.

Instead, his flight team altered his projected route, having Fossett cross Florida, where he had begun his nonstop journey Wednesday, and take a southerly path on the flight's last leg to take advantage of better winds.

Early Saturday, Fossett decided to try to finish the trip after reaching the middle of the Atlantic.

His voyage broke the airplane distance record of 24,987 miles set in 1986 by the lightweight Voyager aircraft piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, as well as the balloon record of 25,361 miles set by Brian Jones and Bertrand Piccard in 1999.

Associated Press reporter Mike Schneider in Cape Canaveral, Fla., contributed to this report.