Man Flies to Idaho on a Lawn Chair

[Squatch]

Link

BEND, Oregon (AP) -- Last weekend, Kent Couch settled down in his lawn chair with some snacks -- and a parachute. Attached to his lawn chair were 105 large helium balloons.

Destination: Idaho.

With instruments to measure his altitude and speed, a global positioning system device in his pocket, and about four plastic bags holding five gallons of water each to act as ballast -- he could turn a spigot, release water and rise -- Couch headed into the Oregon sky.



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What's really alarming is the color of the sky. Nothing points out how much shit we put in the atmosphere like smog against a snow-white background.

[1620rock]

1. Didn't some other guy do this a few years ago? I think he was

fined by the FAA.

[Captain Hilts]

5. Yes, but he got a Breitling watch ad. nt

[murielm99]

9. Yes, another guy did it.

I think it was in the nineties.

He was fined by the FAA. He scared the liver out of some pilot, and the state police had to cut power lines so he could land.

I heard a radio interview of him later. He was serious about the trouble he had gotten into, but the rest of the interview was whimsical and funny. I would like to have known him.

Unfortunately, a few years later, he suffered some personal reversals, including unemployment. He committed suicide. Very sad.

[Javaman]

16. Actually, I worked with the guy out in Los Angeles...

his name was larry walters.

He sadly took his own life many years ago.

[cui bono]

18. Is that the guy they made the movie about?

Not a documentary, but a narrative feature that was based on him.

[Javaman]

19. don't know about that.

All I know was that larry was a good guy.

[TransitJohn]

2. Forest fires

are raging all over the west out here...that's what you're seeing.

[Dogmudgeon]

3. All R-i-i-i-ght! Go, Kent *Couch*!

:woohoo:

--p!

[blues90]

4. WOW , some people certainly have balls .

I have to admire his sense of adventure .

[Captain Hilts]

6. You have to have balls to have a sense of adventure? nt

[conscious evolution]

11. Where else was he going to put the helium?

[Captain Hilts]

12. I stand corrected. HElium. nt

[conscious evolution]

17. HElium LOL!

[blitzen]

7. he didn't quite make it...landed in Union, OR

[TahitiNut]

8. "Danny Deckchair" comes to America!! Bravo!

:rofl:

[SoCalDem]

10. That was a funny movie :) n/t

[TahitiNut]

14. I thought so, too. I like Rhys Ifans, though.

I also like Aussies. Without a single exception, I've enjoyed their company at dinner and diving on many occasions.

[Ezlivin]

13. Great. Now we'll have to ban helium balloons so that they don't fall into terrorist hands

"Five Middle Eastern men speaking like Donald Duck threatened...."

[Javaman]

15. ...nt

[Bluerthanblue]

20. every kids fantasy come true!.... I was telling

my sons about this just yesterday.

"And the little lame balloon man whistled far and wee...."

what a great adventure this must have been, even if it got cut short.

[KatyaR]

21. There was a guy who participated in our hot air balloon festival

a few years ago who did this. I can't think of his name, but it was insane to think of flying like that in a freakin' LAWN CHAIR.

Can you say "uninsurable risk?"

Actually, it sounds kinda fun, but I'd be scared to death.