For maximum lulz, he needs to do it dressed as Muhammad.

"Soon..."

Hope he doesn't drift over any weddings.

Larry Walters did it first. Best ATC call ever by an airline pilot = I just passed a lawn chair at 12,000 feet or something like that.

Kent Couch, who runs a gas station in Bend, Ore

Oh ffs, why did it have to be Oregon? Really, we're not all like that. Once you're inside the city limits the people are generally pretty sane.


JasonOfOrillia: Hope he doesn't drift over any weddings.

I was thinking the same thing. Better avoid any local holidays or celebrations. And just PRAY you don't end up drifting into Iran...

Rock on my gas fume sniffing Oregonian.

Wasn't the dumbest man on the planet the guy who went on a hunting trip with his friend, Dick Cheney?

you need not support his cause, subby,

but what makes you so compelled to insult his cause as you've done here?

Cosmk: Have there been successful balloon chair rides I don't know about?

Welcome to the 1990's.

The approrpirate Google search strategy is:
Larry Walters lawn chaii

The absolute best stories were in the New Yorker, which covered not just the event, but his demise in the parks and other issues: But he's the link to one story (new window). The New Yorker has copyright protected much of the good stuff.

WeenerGord: [i-cdn.apartmenttherapy.com image 500x773]

Do elementary schools still subject kids to that film?

Opus?

Might need 3 or 4 parachutes, in case they put bullets in them after they put bullets in the balloons. Oh, and some body armor.

Spartan_Manhandler: WeenerGord: [i-cdn.apartmenttherapy.com image 500x773]

Do elementary schools still subject kids to that film?


The website I hotlinked it from had comments saying that some people spent good money to get a vhs copy of the film off ebay. It was only 4 minutes long. The boy was the directors son. I wonder if he was scared or excited to be that high up. I sure hope he wore a body harness and didn't just have to hold on.

Cosmk: violentsalvation: I would do it. With a parachute.

Because parachuting down into Bagdhad is inviting? Everything about this screams NO. Have there been successful balloon chair rides I don't know about?

It is called cluster ballooning (new window) and is a recognized form of ballooning and requires FAA certification.the only fatality that I can think of is that priest guy from Brazil who was inexperienced, no coaching, had a GPS tracker that he didn't know how to operate, and launched in bad weather. they found that guy four months later floating in the pacific masquerading as chum

If anything, the gentleman in the article, Mr. Couch is actually the de-facto world expert on lawn chair ballooning. He has several successful flights under his belt.

ArkAngel: [upload.wikimedia.org image 220x272]

Approves

Larry Walters and the rest of the story (oldie but goodie)

jmadisonbiii: ArkAngel: [upload.wikimedia.org image 220x272]

Approves

Larry Walters and the rest of the story (oldie but goodie)

Later on, Larry Walters committed suicide.

ThisNameSux: For maximum lulz, he needs to do it dressed as Muhammad.

the teddy bear?

moops: jmadisonbiii: ArkAngel: [upload.wikimedia.org image 220x272]

Approves

Larry Walters and the rest of the story (oldie but goodie)

Later on, Larry Walters committed suicide.

Yep. During his arrest at the end of his flight, a reporter asked him why he did it. He replied: "A man can't just sit around."

I still don't know why Larry Walters couldn't have popped a couple of balloons before reaching the point of no return.

Down.

butt-nuggets        2011-11-05 12:36:19 AM   
I still don't know why Larry Walters couldn't have popped a couple of balloons before reaching the point of no return.

I seem to recall him dropping his pellet or BB gun and was unable to pop balloons any longer. But the I am frequently FOS.

Danny Deckchair says "been there, done that... and it was no little thing."

Good Aussie movie, check it out!

If it was me doing the balloon lawn chair gig, it would not be in Iraq.

I guess no one remembers...

Well, damn. Trying again!

Don't forget the special American Flag balloons, champ. You will be catapulted to the top of The Darwin Awards for at least the next 20 years. Think of the prestige.

/You can do it

mwenye_kichaa: Well, damn. Trying again!

[img511.imageshack.us image 550x436]

I actually tried that as a kid after watching that episode.

It doesn't work :(

No Ben Folds? I am disappoint.

Harry_Seldon: Wasn't the dumbest man on the planet the guy who went on a hunting trip with his friend, Dick Cheney?

No, no, I think Subby is talking about Herman Cain...


Omnivorous: The approrpirate Google search strategy is:
Larry Walters lawn chaii

What lawn chai [tea] (or lawn chai [life]) may look like, respectively:

Protricity: but what makes you so compelled to insult his cause as you've done here?

It's not his "cause," it's his execution. Incidentally, he may see his execution on that day.

This guy was of right mind when he was flying over eastern Oregon. Baghdad is not eastern Oregon.

ThisNameSux: For maximum lulz, he needs to do it dressed as Muhammad.

An hour plus later and I'm still laughing so hard I'm crying.

Thanks

/I dub thee purple

puffy999: Protricity: but what makes you so compelled to insult his cause as you've done here?

It's not his "cause," it's his execution. Incidentally, he may see his execution on that day.

This guy was of right mind when he was flying over eastern Oregon. Baghdad is not eastern Oregon.

...because..?

oh, were you done? I Thought you had a point coming

I want a TRASH-a-BAG!!!

/Love me some A-team
//Simpsons did it

No Mythbusters picture?

I'm disappointed.

Ronin_S: No Mythbusters picture?

I'm disappointed.

I'm on my phone or I would find something. I actually just rescued that episode earlier this week.

here's the kari pic you all want

/so hot

FTA: Couch brings to the enterprise the necessary experience. He already has made several long-distance lawn-chair-balloon flights, including a successful 235-mile journey from Oregon to Idaho in 2008. An earlier attempt on a similar route failed in 2007 -- Couch made it only as far as North Powder, Ore., near La Grande, and touched down off of Interstate 84, having lost contact with his chair and balloons in the process.


If you are soaring throught the sky, and you lose contact with your chair and balloons...isn't that really, really, bad?
I imagine it would look something like this:

Can we get an Oregon tag yet? Clearly we need it.

That guy owns a gas station here in Bend, Oregon. Here is the local tv coverage of this guy.

http://www.ktvz.com/news/29668466/detail.html