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Wednesday, March 8, 2006 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Source: Dennis Kuhlman, 785-826-2601, dkuhlman@k-state.edu K-STATE AT SALINA TAPPED FOR LEADERSHIP IN MISSION CONTROL, WEB TRACKING FOR FOSSETT’S NEXT RECORD FLIGHT ATTEMPT SALINA – Kansas State University at Salina has agreed to assume a major leadership role in the next record attempt of Steve Fossett, aviator and pilot of the GlobalFlyer aircraft. The GlobalFlyer completed the world’s first solo flight around the world in March 2005, and set the non-stop distance record last month. K-State at Salina students and faculty were involved in both previous flights. The next flight will be an attempt to set the closed-course distance record and is slated to begin and end in Salina. K-State at Salina will be planning and running Mission Control, which will again be located in the College Center building on campus. Unlike the 2005 flight, which also took place in Salina, Virgin Atlantic will not be sending staff to Salina for the flight. For that reason, K-State students, faculty and staff will be providing the leadership and infrastructure for the operations in Mission Control, as well as handling the Web updates throughout the flight. “Steve Fossett is giving K-State at Salina a fantastic opportunity by asking us to lead the efforts on the ground to make his next record attempt successful,” said Dennis Kuhlman, K-State at Salina dean. “His experience with our students and faculty in the past 15 months have led him to the conclusion that we can provide the very best support to his efforts.” As during the last Salina-based attempt, students will be selected to support the flight planning, mission control and aircraft ground crew operations. In addition to working with the flight and the plane, it is estimated that dozens more students will assist with computer connectivity on the ground and updates to the Web site that will track the flight. “Besides setting a record, Steve’s desire in all his adventures is to inspire young people to achieve their dreams,” Kuhlman said. “By choosing K-State at Salina to provide the support for his next attempt, he is doing just that – giving our students a huge part to play in one of the most exciting, high-tech projects in the world today.” As it becomes available, additional information about K-State’s role in the upcoming flight, as well as mission tracking information when the flight has begun, will be posted online at http://salina.k-state.edu/globalflyer |