Private planes and aircrafts from the Civil Air Patrol continue to scout the rugged terrain of the Nevada dessert, hoping to locate the famous aviator and adventurer Steve Fossett, who went missing Monday.

The 63-year-old record-breaker took off late Monday on a routine flight onboard a light Citabria Super Decathlon, but never returned. As hours passed, Fossett’s friends and family began worrying because he had fuel for only four hours of flight and the unfriendly terrain he was flying over represents a tough challenge for any man that finds himself stranded there.

Unfortunately, he didn’t file a flight plan before taking off from a private airstrip south of Smith Valley, in the state of Nevada.

His old friend and occasional financer, Sir Richard Branson said he is confident Fossett is alright, outlining he is an experienced adventurer who managed to dodge numerous dangers.

“Steve is a tough old boot,” the British entrepreneur and founder of the Virgin brand said. “I suspect he is waiting by his plane right now for someone to pick him up.”

Fossett is known for his achievements and overcame life-threatening situations several times. He managed to walk for almost 50 kilometers and get help after making an emergency landing.

Almost two days have passed since the search operations were launched, rescue teams flying incessantly over the partially mountainous terrain looking for what they said to be “a needle in a haystack.”

Numerous aircrafts are trying to scan every inch of a 1,500-square-kilometres area, but the strong winds and small dimensions of the Fossett’s plane hamper their operation.

According to media reports, the adventurer didn’t have a parachute on board the two-seater plane, which is frequently used in air shows for acrobatic maneuvers.

James Stephen Fossett became famous and cheered across the world for his staggering records. He managed to become the first person to single-handedly fly a balloon (2002) and airplane (2005) around the globe without any intermediate landings or refueling.

Last year he set a new record for “distance without landing” after 76 hours and 43 minutes of dramatic flight across 41,467 kilometres. He took off in his ultra-light plane the Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer from Florida and flew over the Atlantic twice before landing in a tourist resort on the south coast of England.

As an aviator, pilot and adventurer, the Californian broke and set over 100 world records, half of them still ruling the statistics.