(Steve Fosset photos from Rapid City Journal, January 1996) He did not win the competition to be first to fly around the world but, in July 2002, on his sixth attempt, he succeeded in becoming the first solo balloonist to do so. John, Canada, approximately 2,200 statute miles. When Steve Fosset made his first "Round The World" attempt - Steve Fossett. The pair made it to Ontario, Canada where they were forced to abandon the journey due to leaks in the balloon. The first flight was in November 1982 when Maxie Anderson and Don Ida gave it a try - Maxie Anderson (US Ballooning Hall of Fame). These flights were a part of the Stratobowl history and we have enormous respect for the pilots and their achievements. Sadly, all three pilots later died in aviation accidents. They were great adventurers who didn't quit here. In both cases, the pilots, who already held world records, flew very long distances, but failed to achieve success. There have been two flights launched from the the Stratobowl which were attempts to be the first to fly "around the world" by balloon. TO BE THE FIRST TO FLY AROUND THE WORLD BY BALLOON They are the South Dakota Air and Space Museum, which is located next to Ellsworth Air Force Base, in Box Elder, and The Journey Museum, which is near downtown Rapid City, SD. If you happen to be in the Black Hills area, there are two museums which have high quality displays about these flights. To learn more, see the Smithsonion Museum site. Clearly, this underscores the historical significance of these flights - the beginning of the Space Age. The Smithsonion National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC is home to 1935 Explorer II gondola. You can easily find a great deal of information about the history of the Stratobowl by doing a web search and checking out any of the many excellent websites available, such as Morning Star Balloon Company and. The National Geographic documented them and there was a lot of media and newpaper coverage. Much has been written about these historic flights since they were very significant, newsworthy events. It was then that this little valley became known as the "Stratobowl" and the birthplace of the space age. From here, in 19, the Army Air Corps and National Geographic Society launched manned balloon flights into the stratosphere to a record 72,395 feet. This is why the Stratobowl is "on the map". Now, the scattered "tailing" piles are all that remain of the old gold mining days. Later, for a few years during the early 1930's, a few family members conducted placer mining operations on a small scale, but there was hardly enough gold produced to make a living. There, active mining took place from 1893 to 1905. One of Company mines was on about 80 acres of property known as "Moonlight Valley" (later to become the "Stratobowl"). The Bonanza Bar Mining Company was organized in about 1890 to do placer mining on Spring Creek near Rockerville, SD.