NORTH POLE COULD RECEIVE OLDEST VISITOR THIS WEEKEND.Byline: BRENT HOPKINS Staff Writer VAN NUYS -- Nonagenarian non·a·ge·nar·i·an n. A person 90 years old or between 90 and 100 years old. [From Latin n  n Fred Fox is on a mission.
Aside from his white beard and sparse hair, the Sherman Oaks resident is the very picture of youthful vitality. On Monday afternoon, the poet, author, educator and great-grandfather boarded a private jet on an expedition to the North Pole North Pole, northern end of the earth's axis, lat. 90°N. It is distinguished from the north magnetic pole. U.S. explorer Robert E. Peary is traditionally credited as being the first to reach (1909) the North Pole. In 1926, Richard E. . He plans to become its oldest visitor ever by week's end. "There are many people who decide that when they get old, they'll fade away Verb 1. fade away - become weaker; "The sound faded out" dissolve, fade out change state, turn - undergo a transformation or a change of position or action; "We turned from Socialism to Capitalism"; "The people turned against the President when he stole the ," Fox, 92, said. "I'm clearly not doing that. You've gotta fight it off." His six-day trip was expected to take him first to Rankin Inlet, Canada, on Monday night, then Resolute Bay Resolute Bay is a small bay located on the southern side of Cornwallis Island, in the Canadian territory of Nunavut. The community of Resolute is located on the northern shore of the bay and Resolute Bay Airport to the northwest. on Cornwallis Island Cornwallis Island may refer to:
From there, he switches from one small plane to another, cramming into a tiny Cessna Caravan on skis on Wednesday. It departs Eureka Weather Station, a 10-person installation at 80 degrees north, and heads for the pole, stopping first at 86 degrees north to refuel re·fu·el v. re·fu·eled also re·fu·elled, re·fu·el·ing also re·fu·el·ling, re·fu·els also re·fu·els v.tr. To supply again with fuel. v.intr. and leave behind the rescue plane. Then, the pole -- at 90 degrees north. Weather permitting, he'll stay maybe an hour, snap some pictures and head back to civilization and palm trees. "What I'm excited about," Fox said, "is getting back." An avid proponent of relaxation and travel who's fond of bold statements and gesticulations, he will tote with him a 6-foot cardboard cutout cut·out n. 1. Something cut out or intended to be cut out from something else. 2. Electricity A device that interrupts, bypasses, or disconnects a circuit or circuit element. 3. in the shape of Santa Claus. His grandson, Dr. Steven Fox, who climbs mountains for fun, will bring an inflatable pink flamingo. They also each packed heavy thermal underwear, two jackets, two pairs of pants, parkas, hats, gloves, boots and bootliners. The temperature has been known to drop to 45 below. Plus wind chill wind chill, the cooling effect of wind and temperature combined, expressed in terms of the effect produced by a lower, windless temperature, also called wind chill factor, wind chill temperature, wind chill equivalent temperature, wind chill index, wind chill . And this is the nice time of year to go. His nine decades and then some have thus far been a long-running campaign against mortality, fought through rich living. Born in Brooklyn in 1914, Fox mastered the French horn as a teen and went pro when he wasn't old enough to vote. He toured Europe in a microbus mi·cro·bus n. pl. mi·cro·bus·es or mi·cro·bus·ses A station wagon in the shape of a small bus. for a year in the '60s. He's bound for Africa on a walking safari this summer. He's a lawn bowling champion who drives his own car. And, along the way, he raised a family of adventurers to follow his lead. They've arranged trips to Easter Island and the Galapagos. Last year, they did Australia. Five of them bundled in with Fox as he departed Monday, attempting to become the Robert Edwin Peary of the senior citizen set. "We realized that Grandpa might well be the oldest person to ever go," said his gray-bearded grandson, the expedition's organizer. "We contacted the Guinness Book and found out he could get in the record books. We actually think he should be in the record books for plenty of reasons." After reflecting a bit about growing older without getting old, the elder Fox smiled for the cameras, then pulled on a safari hat and strode onto the Van Nuys Airport Van Nuys Airport (IATA: VNY, ICAO: KVNY, FAA LID: VNY) is a public airport located in Van Nuys, California in the San Fernando Valley, within the Los Angeles city limits. tarmac. He waved his hat, nimbly mounted the stairs to the jet, pumped his fist and said a prayer. Then he flew away. brent.hopkins(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3738 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Fred Fox, 92, of Sherman Oaks prepares to get on a charter flight to head to the North Pole on Monday. He could become the North Pole's oldest visitor. "There are many people who decide that when they get old, they'll fade away," Fox said. "I'm clearly not doing that. You've gotta fight it off." Tina Burch/Staff Photographer |
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