On the same day Steve Fossett’s bid to become the first to fly a balloon non-stop around the world ended in Russia, two balloonists scrubbed their plans to attempt the feat because of a problem with winds across the Atlantic Ocean. The jet stream that would have carried Dick Rutan and partner Dave Melton across the ocean were waning and the winds around Albuquerque were unsettled, the crew’s weather forecasters said. The launch was postponed late Monday for 10 days to two weeks. “You work for months to get to this point, then a few hours before you plan to take off you’re delayed — of course we’re upset,” Melton said Tuesday morning. “It’s a letdown, but we know we’ll have another try at it.” Melton said the crew estimated the jet stream would have slowed the balloon down by at least two days.
