Britain: Adventurer Steve Fossett was catching up on three days of lost sleep yesterday after smashing the record for flying further than anyone in history.
The 61-year-old was forced into making a dramatic emergency landing on Saturday, but he had already passed the record-breaking distance over Shannon two hours earlier.
The American flew 26,389.3 miles during a journey that lasted 76 hours and 45 minutes, beating the former record of 25,361 miles set by the Breitling Orbiter balloon in 1999.
The Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer landed at Bournemouth Airport just after 5.30pm, less than half an hour after the generator on board malfunctioned over Reading.
Crowds and the media had been expecting Fossett to land at Kent International Airport, but the mission's chase plane quickly transported him there - to the awaiting champagne reception.
After being greeted by his wife Peggy, Fossett said: "This is really a big success and I am a very happy guy. I was really lucky to make it here today. The tension of the final part really took it out of me - but I will be fine in the morning."
- (PA)