Lawnchair Flight Lands in Idaho

by Heiky | July 9, 2008 at 05:16 am

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[UPDATE 2008-07-09 09:11:43]

Kent Couch successfully landed his lawnchair in a field in Idaho.

[From 2008-07-03 13:56:24]

He`s about to do it again.

Kent announced on a Portland radio station that "Mission Control" a.k.a Susan Couch (Kent's lovely wife) has provided flight approval for Kent's next cluster balloon flight. He is currently scheduled to fly again on Saturday, July 5th, 2008. Kent is anxious to test some new ideas and techniques he believes will take him farther than he has ever been before.

Kent Couch plans to lift off again during the Fourth of July weekend in a lawn chair attached to 150 giant helium latex balloons. This is his third attempt to fly to Idaho; his first ascent was made in 2006. Last year he flew for 193 miles before landing in a patch of sagebrush. Compared to the first attempt, he is recieving far more support this time around.

"The first time, nobody wanted to be involved at all," Couch told The Associated Press in a phone interview Wednesday. "They were thinking I was a lunatic, I mean a balloon-atic. My friends shunned me. But this time it's different."

He now has a corporate sponsor, a team of volunteers and his wife Susan's blessing.

Apparently he was inspired by Lawnchair Larry's flight in 1982.

1982 Larry 'Lawnchair Larry' Walters (d. October 6, 1993) used 45 helium balloons and a lawnchair to propel himself to 16,000 feet above Los Angeles.

On his descent, Larry was immediately arrested by waiting members of the LAPD. When asked why he had done it by a reporter, Walters replied "a man can't just sit around".

Follwo Kent Couch's flight on his site.

3 See all footage | View Slideshow

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