bizarre When Larry Walters took a flight in a lawn chair aided by weather ballons

[Donkeyd]

Larry Walters, a truck driver with a passion for flying, had always dreamed of flying but was unable to become a pilot due to poor eyesight.


He conceived of his lawn chair flight, inspired by seeing a weather balloon as a child, and spent years planning the feat.


He built a makeshift aircraft by attaching 42 weather balloons to a lawn chair and filling them with helium.


In 1982, with the help of friends, he launched his "Inspiration I" from his backyard in San Pedro, California.


He ascended to 16,000 feet, drifting into controlled airspace near Los Angeles International Airport, startling commercial pilots and air traffic controllers.


He used a BB gun to shoot balloons for controlled descent, but lost the gun, leading to an uncontrolled descent and a landing in Long Beach.


He was cited for violating airspace and faced a fine, but his story became legendary.



His lawn chair is now part of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum's collection.

Larry Walters also faced personal struggles after the flight, including a struggle to find work and his eventual suicide in 1993.

 

[rottenfresh]

View attachment 906276
Larry Walters, a truck driver with a passion for flying, had always dreamed of flying but was unable to become a pilot due to poor eyesight.


He conceived of his lawn chair flight, inspired by seeing a weather balloon as a child, and spent years planning the feat.


He built a makeshift aircraft by attaching 42 weather balloons to a lawn chair and filling them with helium.


In 1982, with the help of friends, he launched his "Inspiration I" from his backyard in San Pedro, California.


He ascended to 16,000 feet, drifting into controlled airspace near Los Angeles International Airport, startling commercial pilots and air traffic controllers.


He used a BB gun to shoot balloons for controlled descent, but lost the gun, leading to an uncontrolled descent and a landing in Long Beach.


He was cited for violating airspace and faced a fine, but his story became legendary.



His lawn chair is now part of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum's collection.

Larry Walters also faced personal struggles after the flight, including a struggle to find work and his eventual suicide in 1993.

Larry needed just a little more selflove... This would have been a lot faster...

 

[mrln]

now people fly drones and make their own source of flying apparatus.

 

[djdeeds]

I've always loved this story. I used to work for a party business and would inflate millions of those things. It's funny how many balloons you actually need to get anything heavy off the ground. A simple tennis ball was enough to keep a dozen balloons from floating away.

 

[Tuomas Woorhees]

Like the story, exept the end. He should write a book and live rich good life.

 

[MuslimHater]

Mad bastard 🤣

 

[Donkeyd]

Planned for years but loses his glasses almost straight away and later his gun!

 

[Donkeyd]

Some photos.
1. His lawn chair
2. Just before his launch
3. Up, up and away
4. Back down just before his arrest

 

[Charliesangel79]

It's a shame he struggled so much and offed himself when in today's times, the stupid "Hawk-tuh" girl pretty much became an overnight millionaire

 

[ConvictedOfStupidity]

Fuck dude. At least build another got go out like a high flyin...I mean slowly gliding up champ, er chump. Well, huh, I guess idk how he actually committed suicide. But I'm sure if it was cool the description would have it. And I don't care enough to look it up, so. Moving on.😁

 

[K.I.T.T.]

Some photos.
1. His lawn chair
2. Just before his launch
3. Up, up and away
4. Back down just before his arrest

The two-liter of Dr. Pepper just makes that second photo so classy.

 

[dwdays]

After hearing her shrill voice…. I totally get it

 

[Sgt.Stupid]

I have a passion for flying too. But I am unable to be a pilot due to my extreme stupidity.

 

[kay41]

I've always loved this story. I used to work for a party business and would inflate millions of those things. It's funny how many balloons you actually need to get anything heavy off the ground. A simple tennis ball was enough to keep a dozen balloons from floating away.

Now imagine how many you need for a whole house

 

[K.I.T.T.]

Now imagine how many you need for a whole house

Well, that depends. If you're from Kentucky, Alabama, Arkansas or Louisiana, your house is probably a trailer and that would require about the same amount of balloon power as your common tornado.

 

[wiggins]

Now imagine how many you need for a whole house

 

[Htos1av]

My man, Leisure suit Larry!

 

[Brownpickles]

Nucking Futs

 

[Mr. Meat Sled]

I have a passion for flying too. But I am unable to be a pilot due to my extreme stupidity.

Yeah, I was addicted to jumping outa the fuckers for a while. Pure stupidity.

 

[ayouno]

he's so chil about it