Joe defies gravity

Joe Miner, 60-year-old billionaire entrepreneur and aviator, successfully piloted his custom-built GlobalFlyer on a record-breaking flight around the world, making him the first person to make the journey alone in a plane made entirely from concrete. "I could use a nap," Miner said as he emerged from the cockpit, "and a bath. It's great to be back on solid ground." He completed the 67-hour flight at the same Kansas runway where it began last week. Kansas was chosen as the final stop in this aviation breakthrough flight because of its flat terrain. Miner first pondered testing the bounds of concrete's previously earthbound status in college as a member of the Concrete Canoe Team at the University of Missouri-Rolla. "If we can float a concrete canoe, why not fly a concrete plane?" Miner said.

Miner previously made a successful solo trip around the globe in a concrete balloon, but only after five failed attempts. He made the concrete flight on the first try. "You really need jet fuel to propel concrete through the sky," Miner explained. Next fall Miner is expected to team up with Virgin mogul Richard Branson in a $300 billion deal to ferry passengers through outer space in a concrete space shuttle.

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