Unstable weather pushes Branson to postpone balloon trip to next week

Unstable weather in Morocco compelled Chicago millionaire Steve Fossett and Virgin tycoon Richard Branson to delay their bid to tour the globe in a hot air balloon.

The flamboyant businessmen joined together hope to launch their balloon on Dec. 9 if weather permits, sources close to the crew said, MAP reported.

Fosset and Branson have been preparing for a month for the takeoff from Marrakech.

The two former rivals will be accompanied by Swedish balloonist Pers Lindstrand in the Virgin Global Challenger. They also have a backup balloon in case their main one is damaged.

Fossett -whose last attempt ended in August in a dramatic landing in Myanmar, the former Burma, after he traveled two-thirds of the Earth's circumference before a severe storm ruptured his balloon- joins Virgin Group VA.CN chief Branson as a third co-pilot.

Branson's team failed to take off the ground at his previous attempt in December 1997, when the balloon sailed away minus the capsule after a gust of wind ripped it from its mooring just hours before the launch from Marrakesh.

The capsule was later recovered slightly damaged in the Algerian desert.

Fossett almost died last August when his balloon plunged 8,840 meters into the South Pacific when it was caught in a storm.