This message was left on our answering machine on Sunday, January 11, 1998 at 10:21 a.m.  Following a structural failure in the envelope, Dick and Dave had been forced to make an emergency bailout from their balloon on Friday January 9th

"The message at the beep is from Dick Rutan. I wanted to call Manley and tell him thank you for an outstanding parachute. On behalf of myself and Dave Melton, good job guy. You ought to be proud of yourself, and you saved our butts. We’ll talk more about it later. Anyway, Dave has a landing injury; he landed in about 25 knot wind and hit a fence post and the only thing I hit was a cactus that I’m still picking out of my face and arms and ass, but other than that I’m in good shape. Thanks for the parachute, it worked outstanding.

Dick Rutan, over and out. "