Unidentified Flying . . . Larry: The Incredible Ascent of the Lawnchair Balloonist.

• 1. Dan PoyntersThe Incredible Ascent of the Lawn Chair Balloonistwith Dan Poynter, CSP.ParaPub.com

2. Aviation PioneerJuly 2, 1982San Pedro, California. ParaPub.com 3. Who was Larry Walters? Books were written about him Playwrights wrote dramas about him Pilots complained about him His girlfriend pleaded with him Police searched for him Southern California Edison turned off the power for him Audiences flocked to himParaPub.com 4. He Became Famous The top prize from the Bonehead Club of Dallas International admiration He appeared on The Tonight Show And the David Letterman Show 1997 Darwin Award 1982 Honorable mention (he did not die) ParaPub.com 5. Natural Selection Survival of the fittest Dies before he can reproduce The citation is bestowed upon (the remains of) that individual, who through single-minded selfsacrifice, has done the most to remove undesirable elements from the human gene pool. Granted posthumously (by definition) Or, lives but is rendered incapable of reproducing Darwin Awards: Where evolution hits the pavement. ParaPub.com 6. An Award was Named for Him The Lawn Chair Larry AwardParaPub.com 7. The Desire to Fly is UniversalEven some fish can flyParaPub.com 8. His Boyhood Dream Was to Fly Joined Air Force to be a pilot Disqualified for poor eyesightParaPub.com 9. Larry Was a Loner and a DreamerA man cant just sit aroundParaPub.com 10. Larry had an IdeaAttach weather balloons to a lawn chair . . . ParaPub.com 11. Aluminum Lawn Chair Sears: $110 30 1-gallon jugs of water (240 lbs) for ballast Chair anchored to the bumper of a 1962 Chevrolet Bonneville with two nylon tethers No safety belt Total cost: $3-4,000ParaPub.com 12. Larry Praised the Chair "The best piece of equipment was the chair, it was a "Sears Best, just excellent, it was extremely strong and really comfortable." ParaPub.com 13. While Tethered Provisions Pellet gun Not tied down Sandwiches CB radio Life Vest Altimeter Parachute Camera Compass Flashlight Medical kit Six Pack of beerParaPub.com 14. The Parachute Drove to Skydive/Lake Elsinore Made a jump Bought a parachute for $900ParaPub.com 15. Take Off from San Pedro Home of Girlfriend, Carol.LAXT.O. ParaPub.com 16. Inflation & Launch Site(Small) back yard of girlfriend Carols homeParaPub.com 17. Filling Balloons with Helium (He) Filling Process55 Helium Cylinders ParaPub.com 18. 150 of Cable; 4 tiers of Balloons42 weather balloons 7 feet in diameter (2m) 12 pounds (5.5 Kg) of lift each (504 lbs) ParaPub.com 19. Midnight Visit Sheriffs Deputies: Whats going on here? Larry: We are getting ready to film a commercial in the morning. (They believed him and left) ParaPub.com 20. Navigating the Inspiration ITo Descend: Shoot Balloons.To Ascend: Pour out ballast (water).Planned to hover at a few hundred feetParaPub.com 21. Space Shuttle Landing He planned to drift out to the Mojave Desert, site of Sunday's scheduled space shuttle Columbia landing. I would have landed before I got in the way of that spaceship. I wasn't trying to upstage the space shuttle. I just wanted to lay back on that chair and enjoy it all. ParaPub.com 22. Testing Lift Capabilities Larry climbed into his chair from the roof of the house while tethered System was positively buoyant See 2-liter bottle of CokeParaPub.com 23. 10:15 AM: Premature Ascent Larry cut one tether The edge of the roof cut the otherLarry rocketed into the sky above San Pedro ParaPub.com 24. He Ascended Rapidly 1,000 feet per minuteFriends, neighbors, reporters and cameramen looked on ParaPub.com 25. 1,500 - Radio Contact Larrys girlfriend Carol on the CB radioLost his glasses 1ParaPub.com 26. Camera Larry: I was so amazed by the view I didn't even take one picture.ParaPub.com 27. No Place to LandFinally leveled off at 16,000 (4876 m) 2ParaPub.com 28. Sighted by PilotsTWA pilot: Passing a guy in a lawn chair at 16,000! United pilot: Guy in a lawn chair with a gun.ParaPub.com 29. Entered Approach Path to Long Beach Municipal Airport Radar confirmed the existence of an object floating 16,000 feet above Long Beach Airport. LAX emergency procedures swung into full alert Helicopter was dispatched to investigate ParaPub.com 30. Second Thoughts Larry: When I got to 15,000 feet, the air was getting thin. Enough of the ride I thought. Id better go into a descent and level off. My cruising altitude was supposed to be 8 or 9,000 feet, to take me over the Angeles National Forest, past Mount Wilson, and out toward Mohave. ParaPub.com 31. Getting Cold Probably 65 degrees at takeoff Early in Day and close to the water 5-10 degrees F. at 16,000 Lose 3.5 degrees/1,000 Larry: I knew I had to do something really radical when my fingers and toes started getting numb. ParaPub.com 32. Shot at Balloons to Descend Shot out 7 balloons 7 x 12 lbs = -84 lbs. Put gun on lap to check altimeter Gust of wind Dropped the gun ParaPub.com 33. A Call from the TowerTower: Say your point of departure Tower: What airport did you take off from? 4ParaPub.com 34. I See a FreewayParaPub.com 35. Others Were Even More Excited Than Larry Down to 10,000 35 balloons left Tower: You say you have a cluster of 35 balloons? ParaPub.com 5 36. Whereto Land?He hoped for Long Beach Country Club ParaPub.com 37. Landed Short of the Country ClubWindParaPub.com 38. 6,000 and Descending Jettisoned water to reduce descent Spotted power lines Jettisoned everything he could Landed in high-voltage power lines. He came to rest within 5 feet of the ground. Fire fighters & utility crews cut the power to the lines (blacking out a portion of Long Beach for twenty minutes)Tower: Stay on this frequency 6ParaPub.com 39. Larry: I cannot say that I was scared. The part that was scary was the last 300 feet (100m) with the rooftops and telephone poles coming up so fast. I was praying that I would not hit one of those power lines and be fried or sizzled.ParaPub.com 40. Drifted Northeast for 2+ Hours WindMohave Desert & Edwards Air Force Base San Pedro to Long Beach Ground winds from East; upper winds from SW ParaPub.com 41. Landing in Long Beach Mohave Desert & Edwards Air Force BaseParaPub.com 42. Crash Site432 E. 45th Street in Long BeachParaPub.com 43. The Reception Larry: Its ironic, because the guy that owned the house, he was out reading his morning paper on a chaise lounge next to his swimming pool, you know, just the look on this guys facelike he hears the noise as I scrape across his roof, and he looks up and sees this pair of boots and the chair floating right over him, under the power lines, right? He sat there mesmerized, just looking at me. After about 15 seconds, he got out of his chair. He said, Hey, do you need any help? And guess what. It turns out he was a pilot. An airline pilot on his day off. ParaPub.com 44. Researcher Mark Barry in Front Yard of Crash SiteParaPub.com 45. Mark Barry with Larrys Chair Larry gave the chair to some admiring neighborhood children A decision he later regretted The Smithsonian requested to preserve it in their museum. ParaPub.com 46. No Report on What Happened to the BeerParaPub.com 47. Jerry with Larrys Chair Years later, Jerry, the neighborhood kid saw Mark Barrys web site on Larry and emailed Mark.He still had the chair.Mark called Carol and Larrys mother Hazel.ParaPub.com 48. Unveiling Jerry unveiled the chair in a Long Beach restaurant.Mark Barry addressed the group of 30 ParaPub.com 49. But What Happened to the Beer?Good DogBad DogParaPub.com 50. Neal Savoy, FAA Regional Safety Inspector. Savoy: 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. Larry: "If the F.A.A. was around when the Wright Brothers were testing their aircraft, they would never have been able to make their first flight at Kitty Hawk." ParaPub.com 51. FAA Cited him for 4 Violations & Fined him $4,000 1. Operating a civil aircraft without an air-worthiness certificate 2. Creating a danger to other aircraft 3. Entering an airport traffic area without two-way communications with the tower 4. Creating a hazard to the life and property of others ParaPub.com 52. Larry Challenged the Fines He couldn't possibly pay the fine, because he'd put all the money he could save or borrow into his flight.ParaPub.com 53. FAA Countered In April the FAA signaled their willingness to compromise by dropping one of the charges His lawn chair didn't need an airworthiness certificate after all Lowered the fine to $3,000ParaPub.com 54. Larry Countered Would admit to failing to maintain two-way radio contact with the airport Pay a $1,000 penalty Drop other two chargesParaPub.com 55. The FAA Caved in The FAA agreed to accept $1,500 The flight was potentially unsafe, but Walters had not intended to endanger anyone." ParaPub.com 56. Larry Changed Jobs Abandoned truck driving Began speaking at motivational seminars He hosted an event at a New York bar filled with lawn chairs. ParaPub.com 57. Never Recovered his $4,000 Investment He was paid a few hundred dollars here and there for television appearances Made a little money as a motivational speaker 1992: Paid $1,000 to appear in Timex ads. Patrons at Jumbo's Diner in Port Richmond, California, took up a collection for him ParaPub.com 58. Another Flight? Larry: "Since I was 13 years old, I've dreamed of going up into the clear blue sky in a weather balloon "By the grace of God, I fulfilled my dream. But I wouldn't do this again for anything." ParaPub.com 59. On the Other Hand Larry: " We've been looking at the Bahamas and a couple of other possibilities. It depends on whether or not I can get somebody to finance it, because I sure can't. ParaPub.com 60. The Play Larrys adventure became the subject of a play"The Flight of the Lawn Chair Man, played in Philadelphia in 2000.ParaPub.com 61. Danny Deckchair - the FilmDanny Deckchair. Australian Film 2004 An Aussie becomes a national sensation when he lifts off in his deck chair tied to balloons. ParaPub.com 62. Mount Hood Pizza Celebrates Anniversary of Larry Walters Lawn Chair Flight Into SpaceJuly 2, 2007, Craig Davisson launched a mannequin version of world famous Larry Walters.ParaPub.com 63. Copy Cat Flight Kevin Walsh, Skydiver, Rigger & Pilot January 1, 1984, Stow, Massachusetts. Inspired by Larry 57 helium balloons, 6 in diameter. Risers wrapped in foil picked up on radar at Bostons Logan Airport He shot into the sky 1,000-feet in twelve seconds 6,000 feet in two minutes 9,000 feet after four minutes 45-minute flight Descended by parachute FAA cited him for four violations and fined him $4,000 ParaPub.com 64. Larry Pioneered Others FollowedAdam Savage soars in the sky as a tribute to "Lawn Chair Larry" Walters' flight in 1982. ParaPub.com 65. Most Recent Kent Couch who in July of 2007 flew 193 miles (311 km) in a lawnchair elevated by 105 large helium balloons. The flight began in Bend, Oregon, and ended in Union, short of Couch's goal of reaching Idaho. ParaPub.com 66. Cluster Ballooning Latex balloons Diameter: Five to eight feet Volume: 7,000 to 9,000 cubic feet Sealed with masking tape and cable ties Secured with nylon line to carabineers in groups of three to six, depending on the size of the balloonsParaPub.com 67. Sandbags Hold the Balloons While Gearing up Harness uses Carabineers attached to long risers Risers of varying lengths to hold balloons in tiers Can cut away the top tier without risk of tangling Avoids dragging in high-wind landings A hundred or so balloons is the limit to keep untangled Balloons must be at least 4 diameterParaPub.com 68. The Harness A paragliding harness Supine Integral parachute Padded back protector Water ballast in 2-gallon bladders designed for camping useParaPub.com 69. LiftoffJohn NinomiyaParaPub.com 70. Ballooning Regulations FAR Part 103: Must avoid Congested areas Controlled airspace May need aircraft radio and transponder Balloons have the right-of-way Least-maneuverable of aircraftParaPub.com 71. Modern Cluster BallooningParaPub.com 72. Gas and Hot AirParaPub.com 73. Grape AdventureJohn is up inside the cluster ParaPub.com 74. Aviation Pioneers Gas Cluster Balloons 1937. Jean Piccard. 98 latex balloons attached to a basket. . 10,000 1954. Gary Cashman. Hydrogen-filled balloons attached to a seat. Albany New York. 1959: Audouin Dollfus. Chain of 105 balloons, 1,500 feet tall. 40, 000 1957 & 1962: Don Piccard. Plastic balloons. 17,747 feet. 1982: Larry Walters. 43 balloons. 16,000 feet. Long Beach, CA. 1984: Kevin Walsh. 57 helium balloons. 9,000 feet. Stow, MA. 1997: Ian Ashpole. Hundreds of 3 balloons. 10,000 feet. 1998: John Ninomiya. 21,400 2001, Ian Ashpole. Small (party) balloons. 11,000. UK. 2001: Mike Howard, & Steve Davis. 18,235 feet. UK. 2004: Danny Deckchair film 2007: Kent Couch, Bend, Oregon.ParaPub.com 75. 8Larrys Tombstone PlaqueIn 1993, Larry hiked to a remote spot in Angeles National Forest & shot himself in the chest. SongRelatives knew of no motive for the suicideParaPub.com 76. Remembering Larry Army veteran who served in Vietnam Never married and had no children Broke up with Carol, his girlfriend of 15 years His speaking career didn't pan out He worked sporadically as a security guard Hiked the San Gabriel Mountains Did volunteer work for the U.S. Forest Service He is survived by his mother and two sisters. Larry was 44ParaPub.com 77. Larry Told the Times "I didn't think that by fulfilling my goal in life -- my dream -- would create such a stir . . . and make people laugh." ParaPub.com 78. Larry, Why did you do it?"A man can't just sit aroundParaPub.com 79. Questions A few minutes for your questions before we go into the closing slides. If God wanted us to stay on the ground, He would have given us roots.ParaPub.com 80. Please Tell Others About This Program Aviators Parachute people Skydivers Veterans Military General audiences ParaPub.com 81. Aviation Programs Tiny Broadwick Sam Patch, Original Jumper. Floyd Smith North Pole Briefing Lawn Chair Larry Jumping Without a Parachute Caterpillar Club Charles Lindberghs Jumps ChiChi Jima See Program Details on the WebsiteParaPub.com 82. Credits Mark Barry. Photos and story. http://MarkBarry.com John Ninomiya. Cluster balloons and video. http://ClusterBalloon.orgParaPub.com