Lawnchair Larry flight facts for kids
On July 2, 1982, a man named Larry Walters (born April 19, 1949 – died October 6, 1993) made a 45-minute flight. He flew in a homemade aircraft made from a regular patio chair and 45 helium-filled weather balloons. His chair rose to about 4,900 meters (16,000 feet) high. He drifted from where he took off in San Pedro, California. His flight then entered the controlled airspace near Long Beach Airport. When he landed, his chair got tangled in power lines. Luckily, Walters was able to climb down safely. This amazing flight got attention from media all over the world. It even inspired a movie and other people to try similar stunts.
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Larry's Dream of Flying
Larry Walters, whose full name was Lawrence Richard Walters, always dreamed of flying. He wanted to be a pilot in the United States Air Force, but he couldn't because his eyesight wasn't good enough. When he was 13, he saw weather balloons in a military surplus store. That's when he first thought about using them to fly. Before his famous flight, he worked as a truck driver.
In 1982, Larry decided to make his flying dream come true. He planned to float over the Mojave Desert. His idea was to use a pellet gun to pop some balloons when he wanted to land.
Before Larry, in 1937, a photographer named Al Mingalone also used weather balloons. He used 32 balloons for a photo job in Maine. His rope broke, and he floated about 210 meters (700 feet) high. A clergyman saw him and shot two balloons with a rifle, helping Mingalone land safely.
Preparing for Takeoff and the Flight
In the middle of 1982, Larry Walters and his girlfriend, Carol Van Deusen, bought 45 weather balloons. Each balloon was about 2.4 meters (8 feet) wide. They also got helium tanks from a balloon company. They pretended the balloons were for a TV commercial to get them.
On July 2, 1982, Larry tied 43 of the balloons to his lawn chair. He filled them with helium in his backyard in San Pedro. He put on a parachute and strapped himself into the chair. He also brought his pellet gun, a CB radio, sandwiches, beer, and a camera. When his friends cut the rope holding his chair to his Jeep, Larry's lawn chair shot up quickly. It reached a height of about 4,900 meters (16,000 feet). Two commercial airplanes even spotted him! He slowly floated over Long Beach. He also crossed the main path for planes coming into Long Beach Airport.
Larry talked to a group called REACT using his CB radio. They recorded their conversation:
- REACT: What should I tell the airport about where you are and your problem?
- Larry: Ah, the problem is, ah, this was a flight without permission. And, uh, I know I'm in federal airspace. I'm sure my ground crew has told the right people. But, uh, just call them and tell them I'm okay.
After 45 minutes in the sky, Larry shot several balloons. He was careful not to make his chair unbalanced. Then, he accidentally dropped his pellet gun. He started to come down slowly. The dangling cables from his balloons got caught in a power line in Long Beach. The power line broke, causing a 20-minute electricity blackout. Larry landed safely on the ground without getting hurt.
What Happened After
Right after he landed, the police arrested Larry Walters. An inspector said that Larry had broken some aviation rules. Larry was first fined $4,000 for flying without permission and not talking to the control tower. He appealed, and the fine was lowered to $1,500. Another charge about not having a special certificate for his aircraft was dropped.
Larry spoke to the news reporters right after landing. He said:
It was something I had to do. I had this dream for twenty years. If I hadn't done it, I think I would have ended up in the funny farm.
His flying machine was called Inspiration I. Larry Walters was later given the title of "At-Risk Survivor" in the 1993 Darwin Awards.
Ten days after his flight, Larry appeared on Late Night with David Letterman, a TV show. For a short time, many people wanted him to give talks about his experience. He quit his job as a truck driver. He was even in a Timex watch ad in the early 1990s. But he never made a lot of money from being famous.
The lawn chair he used was given to a boy named Jerry. Larry later wished he hadn't given it away when the Smithsonian Institution asked for it for their museum. Twenty years later, Jerry contacted a pilot who had a website about Larry's story. The chair was still in Jerry's garage, with some of the original ropes and water jugs used to balance it. The chair was loaned to the San Diego Air and Space Museum in 2014. It was later given to the Smithsonian and is now on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.
Larry's Later Life and Passing
Later in his life, Larry Walters enjoyed hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains. He also volunteered for the United States Forest Service. He later broke up with his girlfriend of 15 years. He could only find jobs now and then as a security guard. On October 6, 1993, Larry Walters died in the Angeles National Forest when he was 44 years old.
People Who Tried to Fly Like Larry
Larry Walters's flight inspired many others to try similar things. It even led to an extreme sport called cluster ballooning.
- On New Year's Day in 1984, Kevin Walsh flew to 2,700 meters (9,000 feet) using 57 helium balloons in Massachusetts. He landed with a parachute. He was fined $4,000 for breaking aviation rules.
- The Guinness Book of World Records says the highest flight using cluster balloons was by Mike Howard (UK) and Steve Davis (USA). On August 4, 2001, they used 400 helium balloons to reach over 5,600 meters (18,300 feet) in New Mexico. Larry Walters's flight was estimated at 4,900 meters (16,000 feet), but his record isn't officially recognized because he didn't have a proper altimeter (a device to measure height).
- On July 7, 2007, Kent Couch, a 47-year-old gas station owner from Oregon, flew about 386 kilometers (240 miles) in his lawn chair. He landed in a field in Oregon. Couch used plastic bags filled with 75 liters (20 gallons) of water to balance his 105 large helium balloons. Like Larry, Couch had a BB gun to pop balloons for landing. Later, he found a way to release helium for a more controlled landing. In a second flight on July 5, 2008, Couch flew across states, landing safely in Idaho. That trip was 386 kilometers (240 miles) and took 9 hours and 12 minutes.
- On January 13, 2008, a Brazilian priest named Adelir Antonio de Carli took off from Brazil. He was suspended under 600 helium-filled party balloons. He reached 5,300 meters (17,400 feet) high before landing safely in Argentina. On April 20, 2008, he tried to fly again using 1,000 party balloons. He reached 6,100 meters (20,000 feet). He got caught in a storm and crashed in the Atlantic Ocean. His body was found later. He also won a 2008 Darwin Award.
- On May 28, 2010, American adventurer Jonathan Trappe crossed the English Channel using cluster balloons. He flew from England to France. In 2011, he even made a house float with balloons for a National Geographic TV show, like in the movie Up. In September 2013, he tried to cross the Atlantic Ocean but landed in Canada after losing control.
- On June 8, 2013, Joe Barbera from Washington state launched a lawn chair with cluster balloons. He set a new altitude record of 6,460 meters (21,194 feet). This record is still being reviewed by Guinness World Records.
- On July 6, 2015, Daniel Boria from Calgary, Canada, tied about 100 helium balloons to a garden chair. He flew over his city as a publicity stunt. He cut himself loose from the balloons and used a parachute to land.
- On October 20, 2017, Tom Morgan from England reached heights of 2,438 meters (8,000 feet) using 100 colorful helium balloons. He flew 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) over South Africa.
- On September 2, 2020, David Blaine, a famous magician, reached 7,600 meters (24,900 feet) using helium-filled balloons. He had all the necessary licenses and equipment, including oxygen. He released himself from the balloons and free-fell until his parachute opened automatically. His ground team then remotely landed the balloon safely.
