What you all are failing to comprehend is that this was not a risky flight. It was just a normal, run of the mill flight that any one of us could have taken.

It's simply the fact that is was a "well-known" person who happened to have a "lot of money."

If this was me and I took off from my local airport in my airplane just like Steve did and failed to return after a reasonable amount of time, a search and rescue effort would be launched. It's standard operating procedure.

If after a reasonable amount of time, I was not found, the search would be called off. If local volunteer aviation groups want to continue the search at their own expense, that is up to them.

If any of you think that this situation is any different that searching for Steve Fossett, then you are sadly mistaken. I am no different than he is. I am a pilot, he is a pilot. He took off from an airport in an airplane and disappeared...my scenario is the same. I would not expect my family to be billed for search and rescue efforts.

Jim Gibbons is grasping at straws to try and save face b/c he is trying to steer the reporters elsewhere. He's in hot water with the taxpayers in Nevada and I think that's the only reason why he's doing this. There has to be more to the story. I've known Jim for a very long time...this is just not right...I feel bad for Steve's wife...Jim knows better.