Larry Walters
Encyclopedia
Lawrence Richard Walters, nicknamed "Lawnchair Larry" or the "Lawn Chair Pilot", (April 19, 1949 – October 6, 1993) was an American truck driver
who took flight on July 2, 1982 in a homemade airship. Dubbed Inspiration I, the "flying machine" consisted of an ordinary patio chair with 45 helium
-filled weather balloons attached to it. Walters rose to an altitude of over 15000 feet (4,572 m) and floated from his point of origin in San Pedro, California
into controlled airspace near Los Angeles International Airport
. His flight was widely reported in many newspapers.
because of his poor eyesight. Walters had first thought of using weather balloons to fly at age 13, after seeing them hanging from the ceiling of a military surplus store. Twenty years later he decided to do so. His intention was to attach a few helium-filled weather balloons to his lawnchair, cut the anchor, and then float above his backyard at a height of about 30 feet (9.1 m) for several hours. He planned to use a pellet gun to burst balloons to float gently to the ground.
s and obtained helium tanks from California Toy Time Balloons. They used a forged requisition from his employer, FilmFair Studios, saying the balloons were for a television commercial. Walters attached the balloons to his lawn chair, filled them with helium, put on a parachute
, and strapped himself into the chair in the backyard of a home at 1633 W. 7th St. in San Pedro
He took his pellet gun, a CB radio, sandwiches, cold beer, and a camera. When his friends cut the cord that tied his lawn chair to his Jeep, Walters' lawn chair rose rapidly to a height of about 15000 feet (4,572 m). At first, he did not dare shoot any balloons, fearing that he might unbalance the load and cause himself to spill out. He slowly drifted over Long Beach and crossed the primary approach corridor of Long Beach Airport.
He was in contact with REACT
, a CB monitoring organization, who recorded their conversation:
After 45 minutes in the sky, he shot several balloons, and then accidentally dropped his pellet gun overboard. He descended slowly, until the balloons' dangling cables got caught in a power line, causing a blackout
in a Long Beach
neighborhood for 20 minutes. Walters was able to climb to the ground.
Regional safety inspector Neal Savoy was reported to have said, "We know he broke some part of the Federal Aviation Act, and as soon as we decide which part it is, some type of charge will be filed. If he had a pilot's license, we'd suspend that. But he doesn't." Walters was initially fined US$4,000 for violations under U. S. Federal Aviation Regulations
, including operating an aircraft within an airport traffic area "without establishing and maintaining two-way communications with the control tower." Walters appealed, and the fine was reduced to US$1,500. A charge of operating a "civil aircraft for which there is not currently in effect an airworthiness certificate
" was dropped, as it was not applicable to this class of aircraft. Walters commented, "If the FAA was around when the Wright Brothers
were testing their aircraft, they would never have been able to make their first flight at Kitty Hawk
."
Walters received the top prize from the Bonehead Club of Dallas for his adventure, as well as invitations from The Tonight Show
and Late Night with David Letterman
.
Walter's flight was replicated (though tethered) on one of the pilot episodes of the TV show MythBusters
, in which Adam Savage was lifted to a height just under 30 m (100 ft) and gradually reduced his altitude by shooting balloons with a pellet gun.
Walters said, "It was something I had to do. I had this dream for twenty years, and if I hadn't done it, I think I would have ended up in the funny farm. I didn't think that by fulfilling my goal in life — my dream — that I would create such a stir and make people laugh."
After his flight, he was in brief demand as a motivational speaker
and he quit his job as a truck
driver. He was featured in a Timex print ad in the early '90s, but he never made much money from his fame. Later in his life, Walters hiked the San Gabriel Mountains
and did volunteer work for the United States Forest Service
. He later broke up with his girlfriend of 15 years and could only find work sporadically as a security guard.
He committed suicide
in 1993 at the age of 44 by shooting himself in the heart in Angeles National Forest
.
, a 47-year-old gas station owner from Bend, Oregon
, reportedly flew 240 miles (386.2 km) in his lawn chair on Saturday, July 7, 2007, landing in a field about 3½ miles NNW of North Powder, Oregon, about 30 miles (48.3 km) from the Idaho
border. Traveling an average of 22 mph, Couch used plastic bag
s filled with 75 litres (20 gallons) of water
as ballast
against the 105 large helium
balloons tied to his lawn chair. Like Walters, Couch also had a BB gun on hand to shoot the balloons in order to initiate descent on his first attempt. During his flight he developed a way to release helium out of the balloons allowing for a more controlled descent. On July 5, 2008, Couch finally realized his goal of interstate travel when he landed his lawnchair safely in western Idaho. The trip totaled 240 miles (386.2 km) and took 9 hours and 12 minutes.
On January 13, 2008, the Brazilian Roman Catholic priest Adelir Antonio de Carli
lifted off from Ampere, Brazil
, suspended under 600 brightly colored helium
-filled party balloons, and reached an altitude of 5,300 m (17,390 ft) before landing safely in Argentina
. On April 20, 2008, lifting off from Paranagua
, Brazil, in an attempt to fly 725 km (450 mi) inland to Dourados
, Brazil, he flew using a chair suspended under 1,000 party balloons, reaching an altitude of 20,000 feet (6,096 m). He did not check the weather forecast and got caught in a storm. He had a GPS but did not know how to operate it. He was last heard on the radio eight hours after liftoff approaching the water after flying off the coast, unable to give his position, and crashed in the Atlantic Ocean
; his body was found by the Brazilian Navy
near an offshore oil platform on July 4, 2008. The act won him a 2008 Darwin Award.
Numerous imitators since have successfully attempted uncontrolled balloon flight without serious incident, some beating Larry's original 16000 feet (4,876.8 m) record.
Truck driver
A truck driver , is a person who earns a living as the driver of a truck, usually a semi truck, box truck, or dump truck.Truck drivers provide an essential service to...
who took flight on July 2, 1982 in a homemade airship. Dubbed Inspiration I, the "flying machine" consisted of an ordinary patio chair with 45 helium
Helium
Helium is the chemical element with atomic number 2 and an atomic weight of 4.002602, which is represented by the symbol He. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas that heads the noble gas group in the periodic table...
-filled weather balloons attached to it. Walters rose to an altitude of over 15000 feet (4,572 m) and floated from his point of origin in San Pedro, California
San Pedro, Los Angeles, California
San Pedro is a port district of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. It was annexed in 1909 and is a major seaport of the area...
into controlled airspace near Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
. His flight was widely reported in many newspapers.
Origin of his plan
Walters had always dreamed of flying, but was unable to become a pilot in the United States Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
because of his poor eyesight. Walters had first thought of using weather balloons to fly at age 13, after seeing them hanging from the ceiling of a military surplus store. Twenty years later he decided to do so. His intention was to attach a few helium-filled weather balloons to his lawnchair, cut the anchor, and then float above his backyard at a height of about 30 feet (9.1 m) for several hours. He planned to use a pellet gun to burst balloons to float gently to the ground.
Preparation and launch
In mid-1982, Walters and his girlfriend, Carol Van Deusen, purchased 45 eight-foot weather balloonWeather balloon
A weather or sounding balloon is a balloon which carries instruments aloft to send back information on atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity and wind speed by means of a small, expendable measuring device called a radiosonde...
s and obtained helium tanks from California Toy Time Balloons. They used a forged requisition from his employer, FilmFair Studios, saying the balloons were for a television commercial. Walters attached the balloons to his lawn chair, filled them with helium, put on a parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
, and strapped himself into the chair in the backyard of a home at 1633 W. 7th St. in San Pedro
San Pedro, Los Angeles, California
San Pedro is a port district of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. It was annexed in 1909 and is a major seaport of the area...
He took his pellet gun, a CB radio, sandwiches, cold beer, and a camera. When his friends cut the cord that tied his lawn chair to his Jeep, Walters' lawn chair rose rapidly to a height of about 15000 feet (4,572 m). At first, he did not dare shoot any balloons, fearing that he might unbalance the load and cause himself to spill out. He slowly drifted over Long Beach and crossed the primary approach corridor of Long Beach Airport.
He was in contact with REACT
Radio Emergency Associated Communication Teams
REACT began as a CB radio Emergency Channel 9 monitoring organization across the United States and Canada in 1962. Initially, the primary role of REACT volunteers was to monitor Channel 9, the CB Emergency Channel, to help motorists. Later, duties grew to include communications after disasters ,...
, a CB monitoring organization, who recorded their conversation:
- REACT: What information do you wish me to tell [the airport] at this time as to your location and your difficulty?
- Larry: Ah, the difficulty is, ah, this was an unauthorized balloon launch, and, uh, I know I'm in a federal airspace, and, uh, I'm sure my ground crew has alerted the proper authority. But, uh, just call them and tell them I'm okay.
After 45 minutes in the sky, he shot several balloons, and then accidentally dropped his pellet gun overboard. He descended slowly, until the balloons' dangling cables got caught in a power line, causing a blackout
Power outage
A power outage is a short- or long-term loss of the electric power to an area.There are many causes of power failures in an electricity network...
in a Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
neighborhood for 20 minutes. Walters was able to climb to the ground.
Arrest and notoriety
He was immediately arrested by waiting members of the Long Beach Police Department; when asked by a reporter why he had done it, Walters replied, "A man can't just sit around."Regional safety inspector Neal Savoy was reported to have said, "We know he broke some part of the Federal Aviation Act, and as soon as we decide which part it is, some type of charge will be filed. If he had a pilot's license, we'd suspend that. But he doesn't." Walters was initially fined US$4,000 for violations under U. S. Federal Aviation Regulations
Federal Aviation Regulations
The Federal Aviation Regulations, or FARs, are rules prescribed by the Federal Aviation Administration governing all aviation activities in the United States. The FARs are part of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations...
, including operating an aircraft within an airport traffic area "without establishing and maintaining two-way communications with the control tower." Walters appealed, and the fine was reduced to US$1,500. A charge of operating a "civil aircraft for which there is not currently in effect an airworthiness certificate
Airworthiness certificate
A Certificate of Airworthiness , or an airworthiness certificate, is issued for an aircraft by the national aviation authority in the state in which the aircraft is registered. The airworthiness certificate attests that the aircraft is airworthy insofar as the aircraft conforms to its type design...
" was dropped, as it was not applicable to this class of aircraft. Walters commented, "If the FAA was around when the Wright Brothers
Wright brothers
The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
were testing their aircraft, they would never have been able to make their first flight at Kitty Hawk
Kitty Hawk, North Carolina
Kitty Hawk is a town in Dare County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,000 at the 2000 census. It was established in the early 18th century as Chickahawk....
."
Walters received the top prize from the Bonehead Club of Dallas for his adventure, as well as invitations from The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night....
and Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman is a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC that was created and hosted by David Letterman. It premiered in 1982 as the first incarnation of the Late Night franchise and went off the air in 1993, after Letterman left NBC and moved to Late Show on CBS. Late Night...
.
Walter's flight was replicated (though tethered) on one of the pilot episodes of the TV show MythBusters
MythBusters
MythBusters is a science entertainment TV program created and produced by Beyond Television Productions for the Discovery Channel. The series is screened by numerous international broadcasters, including Discovery Channel Australia, Discovery Channel Latin America, Discovery Channel Canada, Quest...
, in which Adam Savage was lifted to a height just under 30 m (100 ft) and gradually reduced his altitude by shooting balloons with a pellet gun.
Later years
The lawnchair used in the flight was given to an admiring boy named Jerry, though Walters later regretted doing so, since the Smithsonian Institute asked him to donate it to its museum. Twenty years later, Jerry, by then an adult, sent an e-mail to Mark Barry, a pilot who had documented Walters' story and dedicated a Web site to it, and identified himself. It was still sitting in his garage, attached to some of the original tethers and water jugs used as ballast.Walters said, "It was something I had to do. I had this dream for twenty years, and if I hadn't done it, I think I would have ended up in the funny farm. I didn't think that by fulfilling my goal in life — my dream — that I would create such a stir and make people laugh."
After his flight, he was in brief demand as a motivational speaker
Motivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
and he quit his job as a truck
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
driver. He was featured in a Timex print ad in the early '90s, but he never made much money from his fame. Later in his life, Walters hiked the San Gabriel Mountains
San Gabriel Mountains
The San Gabriel Mountains Range is located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, United States. The mountain range lies between the Los Angeles Basin and the Mojave Desert, with Interstate 5 to the west and Interstate 15 to the east...
and did volunteer work for the United States Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
. He later broke up with his girlfriend of 15 years and could only find work sporadically as a security guard.
He committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in 1993 at the age of 44 by shooting himself in the heart in Angeles National Forest
Angeles National Forest
The Angeles National Forest of the U.S. National Forest Service is located in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles County, southern California. It was established on July 1, 1908, incorporating the first San Bernardino National Forest and parts of the former Santa Barbara and San Gabriel...
.
Theater
- The musical "Flight of the Lawnchair Man" is about a fictional balloon pilot, but was inspired by Walter's flight and the flights of other balloon pilots.
- The Man in the Flying Lawn Chair, an ensemble piece created and directed by Eric Nightengale, was produced at the 78th Street Theatre Lab in New York City in the summer and fall of 2008. In 2009 the production was presented at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The piece was part of 78th Street Theatre Lab's series, "From Page to Stage," which has been "developed in the tradition of the living newspaper, where theatrical inspiration is drawn from people and events pulled from the front pages."
- The flight and Walter's inability to settle back into normal existence inspired Up (The Man in the Flying Lawn Chair), Bridget Carpenter's 2002 play that traced the discordant aftermath of fictional Walter Griffin's lawn chair adventure. In the summer of 2009 Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre presented a six week run of the play.
- One scene in Robert FulghumRobert FulghumRobert Lee Fulghum is an American author, primarily of short essays.He has worked as a Unitarian Universalist minister .During this same period he taught drawing,...
's All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten tells of Larry Walter's flight, but from the more inspirational angle of everything is still possible.
Television
- MythBusters put Larry Walters flight to the test in "MythBusters Pilot 3: Larry’s Lawn Chair Balloon, Poppy Seed Drug Test, Goldfinger" Mar 7, 2003. It was "CONFIRMED," although it had already been previously confirmed by the FAA http://mythbustersresults.com/pilot3
- Larry Walters' flight was referred to in the third season of the Fox Comedy Arrested Development, when George Bluth, Sr., inspired by a television program about Walters, attempts to use a deck chair rigged with hydrogen balloons to escape from house arrest.
- The flight was parodied in the SpongeBob SquarePantsSpongeBob SquarePantsSpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"...
episode "The Sponge Who Could Fly". - An episode of the 1980s television show The A-TeamThe A-TeamThe A-Team is an American action adventure television series about a fictional group of ex-United States Army Special Forces personnel who work as soldiers of fortune, while on the run from the Army after being branded as war criminals for a "crime they didn't commit". The A-Team was created by...
featured a prison escape scene in which Murdock ties trash bags to a lawn chair and inflates them with hot air from hair dryers, allowing him to float out of the prison yard. - An episode of Malcolm in the MiddleMalcolm in the MiddleMalcolm in the Middle is an American television sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for the Fox Network. The series was first broadcast on January 9, 2000, and ended its six-and-a-half-year run on May 14, 2006, after seven seasons and 151 episodes...
ends with older brother Reese floating away from home on a balloon-lifted lawn chair. As he rises away, younger brother Dewey calls out, "I'll miss you, at first!" - In an episode of King of the HillKing of the HillKing of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
, Bill, Dale, and Boomhauer construct a flying lawnchair. The takeoff is botched, however, and Bill ends up in a Mexican neighborhood, hanging from a tree, and is set upon by MexicanMexican peopleMexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
children who hit him with sticks joking that he is a piñataPiñataA piñata is a papier-mâché or other type of container that is decorated, filled with toys and or candy and then broken as part of a ceremony or celebration. Piñatas are most commonly associated with Mexico, but its origins are considered to be in China...
. - In the teaser to an episode of Hill Street BluesHill Street BluesHill Street Blues is an American serial police drama that was first aired on NBC in 1981 and ran for 146 episodes on primetime into 1987. Chronicling the lives of the staff of a single police precinct in an unnamed American city, the show received critical acclaim and its production innovations ...
someone is attempting to take off in a balloon-suspended lawn chair, but is ordered to stop by Lt. BuntzDennis FranzDennis Franz is an American actor best known for his role as Andy Sipowicz, a hard-boiled police detective in the television series NYPD Blue. He previously appeared as Lt...
. When the chair pilot (sarcastically addressed by Buntz as "Captain KirkJames T. KirkJames Tiberius "Jim" Kirk is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. Kirk was first played by William Shatner as the principal lead character in the original Star Trek series. Shatner voiced Kirk in the animated Star Trek series and appeared in the first seven Star Trek movies...
") refuses and the balloon starts to rise, Buntz shoots it with his department-issued weapon, causing the pilot to drop to the ground. - An episode of Men in TreesMen in TreesMen in Trees is an American romantic television dramedy series which premiered on September 12, 2006 on ABC and starred Anne Heche who played relationship coach Marin Frist. The series was set in the fictional town of Elmo, Alaska and concerned Marin Frist's misadventures in relationships...
included a lawn chair flight, aired on March 3, 2008. - In an episode of Urban Legends Larry Walters flight is shown as one of three, possibly true, legends. His is the true story.
Film
- Pixar's "UPUp (2009 film)Up is a 2009 American computer-animated comedy-adventure film produced by Pixar, distributed by Walt Disney Pictures and presented in Disney Digital 3-D. The film premiered on May 29, 2009 in North America and opened the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, becoming the first animated and 3D film...
" revolves around an elderly man's use of helium balloons to move his entire house. - The story of Walters also inspired the romantic comedy Danny DeckchairDanny DeckchairDanny Deckchair is a 2003 Australian comedy film written and directed by Jeff Balsmeyer. The majority of Danny Deckchair was shot in Bellingen, a Mid North Coast town in New South Wales....
. - Trailers for the 1985 comedy film, Real GeniusReal GeniusReal Genius is a 1985 satirical comedy film directed by Martha Coolidge. The film's screenplay was written by Neal Israel, Pat Proft and Peter Torokvei. It stars Val Kilmer and Gabriel Jarret....
, featured Val Kilmer levitating in a lawn chair supported by helium balloons. The scene did not appear in the released film.
Music
- Larry's flight is described in Neil HalsteadNeil HalsteadNeil Halstead is a British guitarist and singer, described as "one of Britain's most respected songwriters" by Allmusic. He was a founding member of Slowdive, a band often associated with the shoegazer musical genre...
's song "Hi-Lo and in Between" on his solo album "Sleeping on Roads" - Larry's feat and later suicide inspired the Candyskins song Death of a Minor TV celebrity from their 1998 album of the same name.
- Channel 3Channel 3 (band)Channel 3, also known as CH3, is a punk rock band from Cerritos, California. Part of the Southern California punk scene of the early 1980s, the band had a sound that was more melodic than many of their hardcore contemporaries, and lyrics which ranged from thoughtful and satirical to bratty and...
, a California hardcore punk band have a song about Larry Walters. - A song by the San Diego band PinbackPinbackPinback is an indie rock band from San Diego, California, currently signed to Temporary Residence Ltd. The band was formed in 1998 by singers, songwriters and multi-instrumentalists Armistead Burwell Smith IV and Rob Crow. Tom Zinser, Chris Prescott, and Mario Rubalcaba have all contributed drums...
, describes the flight in the song "Walters" from their 2007 album "Autumn of the SeraphsAutumn of the SeraphsAutumn of the Seraphs is the fourth full-length release from the San Diego, California band Pinback. The album was released on September 11, 2007 on Touch and Go Records. The first pressing of Autumn of the Seraphs comes packaged with a limited-edition bonus disc...
". - The Lucksmiths "Up" on their album "A Good Kind of NervousA Good Kind Of NervousA Good Kind of Nervous is the fourth album by The Lucksmiths released in 1997 on Candle Records -Track listing:#"Caravanna" – 3:05#"Under the Rotunda" – 2:51#"Train Robbers' Wives" – 1:55...
" is about Walters' flight. - The 2000 Eggbo album, Flight of an Urban Legend, contains a song entitled "Larry Walters" as well as cover art that suggests Walters' flight.
- The 2004 Walken EP, Current Melbourne Temperature, contains a song entitled "Blue Sky" with a film clip inspired by the story of Larry Walters.
Other media
- Walters' flight inspired a satirical narrative thread in Berke Breathed's Bloom CountyBloom CountyBloom County is an American comic strip by Berkeley Breathed which ran from December 8, 1980, until August 6, 1989. It examined events in politics and culture through the viewpoint of a fanciful small town in Middle America, where children often have adult personalities and vocabularies and where...
comic strip, where the wheelchair user Cutter JohnCutter JohnCutter John is a fictional character in the 1980s comic strip Bloom County by Berke Breathed.Cutter, a wheelchair-user and Vietnam War veteran was one of the county's most well-liked citizens. Despite being somewhat childish and awkward at times, he was very popular with the ladies, particularly...
and Opus the PenguinOpus the PenguinOpus the Penguin is a character in the comic strips and children's books of Berkeley Breathed, most notably the popular 1980s strip Bloom County. Breathed has described him as an "existentialist penguin" and the favorite of his many characters...
ride across the ocean on a wheelchair lifted by helium balloons. - There is also an easter eggEaster egg (media)Image:Carl Oswald Rostosky - Zwei Kaninchen und ein Igel 1861.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Example of Easter egg hidden within imagerect 467 383 539 434 desc none...
in SimCity 4SimCity 4SimCity 4 is a city-building/urban planning simulation computer game developed by Maxis, a subsidiary of Electronic Arts. It was released on January 14, 2003. It is the fourth installment in the SimCity series. SimCity 4 has a single expansion pack called Rush Hour which adds features to the game...
that shows a man in a lawn chair attached to balloons, floating across the city, a reference to Larry Walters. - The "L-4 Society" card in the IlluminatiIlluminati (game)Illuminati is a standalone card game made by Steve Jackson Games , inspired by The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea. The game has ominous secret societies competing with each other to control the world through sinister means, including legal, illegal, and even mystical...
card game by Steve Jackson GamesSteve Jackson GamesSteve Jackson Games is a game company, founded in 1980 by Steve Jackson, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games, and the gaming magazine Pyramid.-History:...
features an astronaut orbiting the Earth in a lawnchair suspended by helium balloons. This is both a spoof of Walters' legendary flight and of the L5 SocietyL5 SocietyThe L5 Society was founded in 1975 by Carolyn and Keith Henson to promote the space colony ideas of Dr Gerard K. O'Neill.The name comes from the and Lagrangian points in the Earth-Moon system proposed as locations for the huge rotating space habitats that Dr O'Neill envisioned...
. - The final segment of the musical 3hree is called Flight of the Lawn-chair Man and is based on Larry's story.
- On June 6, 2006, Howard SternHoward SternHoward Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
wack packer Eric "the Midget" LynchEric the MidgetEric Lynch , better known as Eric the Midget or Eric the Bedhumper, is known solely as a fan of The Howard Stern Show. He is considered a part of the Wack Pack, though membership is unofficial. Lynch is tall, weighs , and uses a motorized wheelchair, in addition to various other afflictions...
agreed to sit in a lawn chair while he was lifted up by balloons. Stern mentions the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson as inspiring the idea, although it may also be inspired by Larry's flight. (On the next day, Lynch backed out due to new bits being played about him which he found insulting.) - Poet Marie Bader published a poem about Walters, titled "Ballooning". The poem also appeared in the October 2001 issue of Mobius.
- Dutch Palestinian poet Ramsey Nasr published a poem 'Lawn chair Larry' as part of his participation to 'Een stad van letters' ('A City of Letters') during Antwerp Book Capital 2004. A podcast version of Ramsey Nasr reading and performing his highly parlando poem is available
Imitators
Kent CouchKent Couch
Kent Couch is an American cluster balloonist who drew international interest for his flights across the state of Oregon.-First flight:Kent's first flight was in September 2006. The flight was cut short and Kent used his parachute to land safely on the ground below. The flight preparation and ground...
, a 47-year-old gas station owner from Bend, Oregon
Bend, Oregon
Bend is a city in and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States, and the principal city of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon's largest city, and, despite its modest size, is the de facto metropolis of the region, owing to the low population...
, reportedly flew 240 miles (386.2 km) in his lawn chair on Saturday, July 7, 2007, landing in a field about 3½ miles NNW of North Powder, Oregon, about 30 miles (48.3 km) from the Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
border. Traveling an average of 22 mph, Couch used plastic bag
Plastic bag
A plastic bag, polybag, or pouch is a type of packaging made of thin, flexible, plastic film, nonwoven fabric, or plastic textile. Plastic bags are used for containing and transporting goods such as foods, produce, powders, ice, magazines, comic books, chemicals and waste.Most plastic bags are...
s filled with 75 litres (20 gallons) of water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
as ballast
Buoyancy compensator (aviation)
The static buoyancy of airships during a trip is not constant. It is therefore necessary to take measures to control the buoyancy and thus the altitude, the so-called buoyancy compensation.-Changes which have an effect on buoyancy:...
against the 105 large helium
Helium
Helium is the chemical element with atomic number 2 and an atomic weight of 4.002602, which is represented by the symbol He. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas that heads the noble gas group in the periodic table...
balloons tied to his lawn chair. Like Walters, Couch also had a BB gun on hand to shoot the balloons in order to initiate descent on his first attempt. During his flight he developed a way to release helium out of the balloons allowing for a more controlled descent. On July 5, 2008, Couch finally realized his goal of interstate travel when he landed his lawnchair safely in western Idaho. The trip totaled 240 miles (386.2 km) and took 9 hours and 12 minutes.
On January 13, 2008, the Brazilian Roman Catholic priest Adelir Antonio de Carli
Adelir Antonio de Carli
Adelir Antonio de Carli , also known in Brazil as Padre Baloneiro, was a Brazilian Catholic priest, famous for going missing during an attempt at cluster ballooning on April 20, 2008...
lifted off from Ampere, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, suspended under 600 brightly colored helium
Helium
Helium is the chemical element with atomic number 2 and an atomic weight of 4.002602, which is represented by the symbol He. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas that heads the noble gas group in the periodic table...
-filled party balloons, and reached an altitude of 5,300 m (17,390 ft) before landing safely in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. On April 20, 2008, lifting off from Paranagua
Paranaguá
Paranaguá is a city in the state of Paraná in Brazil. Founded in 1648, it is Paraná's oldest city.It is known for its excellent port facilities, being the sea port for Curitiba, the capital of Paraná....
, Brazil, in an attempt to fly 725 km (450 mi) inland to Dourados
Dourados
Dourados is a Brazilian city, situated in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Southwest of Campo Grande . It has a population of approximately 200,000 inhabitants, and its economy is based mainly in arable agriculture and in cattle ranching...
, Brazil, he flew using a chair suspended under 1,000 party balloons, reaching an altitude of 20,000 feet (6,096 m). He did not check the weather forecast and got caught in a storm. He had a GPS but did not know how to operate it. He was last heard on the radio eight hours after liftoff approaching the water after flying off the coast, unable to give his position, and crashed in the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
; his body was found by the Brazilian Navy
Brazilian Navy
The Brazilian Navy is a branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces responsible for conducting naval operations. It is the largest navy in Latin America...
near an offshore oil platform on July 4, 2008. The act won him a 2008 Darwin Award.
Numerous imitators since have successfully attempted uncontrolled balloon flight without serious incident, some beating Larry's original 16000 feet (4,876.8 m) record.
See also
- Cluster ballooningCluster ballooningCluster ballooning is a form of ballooning where a harness attaches a balloonist to a cluster of helium-inflated rubber balloons.Unlike traditional hot-air balloons, where a single large balloon is equipped with vents enabling altitude control, cluster balloons are multiple, small, readily...
, the modern, more careful approach to Larry's original goal. - Other intrepid balloonists:
- Adelir Antonio de CarliAdelir Antonio de CarliAdelir Antonio de Carli , also known in Brazil as Padre Baloneiro, was a Brazilian Catholic priest, famous for going missing during an attempt at cluster ballooning on April 20, 2008...
(aka Padre Baloneiro), Brazilian priest, human-rights defender, lost in the Atlantic Ocean in Brazilian waters during his second cluster balloon flight on April 20, 2008. - Bartolomeu de GusmãoBartolomeu de GusmãoBartolomeu Lourenço de Gusmão , was a priest and naturalist born in the then Portuguese colony of Brazil, noted for his early work on lighter-than-air airship design....
, a priest and naturalist born in the Portuguese colony of Brazil, recalled for his first balloon flight in Lisbon in 1720 (the balloon burned). - Matias PerezMatias PerezMatias Perez was a Portuguese pilot, canopy maker and Cuban resident who, carried away with the ever increasing popularity of aerostatic aircraft, disappeared while attempting an aerostatic flight from Havana's "Plaza de Marte" on June 28, 1856.A few days earlier he had made a successful attempt,...
, Portuguese entrepreneur who also attempted balloon flight from Havana (Cuba) on June 28, 1856, and got lost while on it. - Yoshikazu Suzuki, a Japanese balloonist also lost in the ocean.
- Adelir Antonio de Carli
- Danny DeckchairDanny DeckchairDanny Deckchair is a 2003 Australian comedy film written and directed by Jeff Balsmeyer. The majority of Danny Deckchair was shot in Bellingen, a Mid North Coast town in New South Wales....
, a 2004 Australian comedy film inspired by the story of "Lawnchair Larry" (Larry Walters).
External links
- The Punk band Channel 3 on Larry Walters;the Song
- Darwin Awards: 1982 Honorable Mentions
- Check-Six.com - The Flight of Larry Walter - "Lawn Chair Pilot"
- The Official Site Of "The Lawn Chair Pilot" (Includes photos, detailed research, approximate flight map, and CB radio recording)
- Snopes.com: "Up, Up, and Away!"
- The Straight Dope: "Did somebody once go aloft in a lawn chair tied to a bunch of helium balloons?"
- Lawn Chair Larry
- Larry Walters at Findagrave.com
- Fox News Story on similar occurrence cites Larry
- News video of de Carli taking off and disappearing in April, 2008
- Mention of Larry Walters in the official FAA Historical Events: accessing the pdf is somehow broken, but you can Google for it