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Lawn chair balloonist to ride again, with co-pilot
AP via Houston Chronicle ^
| Monday, June 18, 2012
| JEFF BARNARD, Associated Press
Posted on 06/20/2012 11:50:12 AM PDT by a fool in paradise
Four years ago, Kent Couch made headlines by floating through the clouds in a lawn chair hoisted by party balloons from Oregon to Idaho. He's going to fly again, this time with a buddy sitting on a second lawn chair at his side.
They are planning to take off July 14 from the parking lot of Couch's gas station and convenience store in Bend, Ore., the way he did in 2008 when he floated 235 miles to an Idaho farm field...
"We can't hit above 18,000 feet (because of federal flight restrictions), but we can make a good run at, I imagine, 400 miles or plus" in distance, which should put them in southwestern Montana after an overnight flight, Couch said.
The flight will be a warm-up for another one planned for this fall in Iraq. The men had to scrub a tandem flight last fall after Iraqi officials said they couldn't provide security for the liftoff from a Baghdad soccer stadium...
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
TOPICS: Hobbies; Travel; UFO's; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: balloonist; darwinaward; idaho; lawnchair; oregon; pancakemakeup; partyballoons
To: Slings and Arrows; JoeProBono
Up UP and AWAY PING.
2
posted on
06/20/2012 11:51:18 AM PDT
by
a fool in paradise
(The media ignored the 40th anniversary of Bill Ayers' Pentagon bombing but not Watergate. Ask Why.)
To: a fool in paradise
To: a fool in paradise
To: a fool in paradise
"They are planning to take off July 14 from the parking lot of Couch's gas station and convenience store in Bend, Ore., the way he did in 2008 when he floated 235 miles to an Idaho farm field..." Everyone involved with these guys would be wise to just stay out of their way. Those two would-be balloonists are too stupid to talk sense into them. Let them float away and never be heard from again. We'll all be better off in the end.
5
posted on
06/20/2012 12:06:54 PM PDT
by
StormEye
To: StormEye
When did the Darwin awards add a Doubles category?
6
posted on
06/20/2012 12:12:19 PM PDT
by
EQAndyBuzz
(ABO 2012)
To: EQAndyBuzz
Hold muh beer and watch this!
7
posted on
06/20/2012 12:21:08 PM PDT
by
a fool in paradise
(The media ignored the 40th anniversary of Bill Ayers' Pentagon bombing but not Watergate. Ask Why.)
To: StormEye
The article does not mention whether they are taking oxygen with them to 18,000 feet. On Top Gear they drove up 17,000 feet into the Andes without oxygen and nearly died.
To: a fool in paradise
9
posted on
06/20/2012 12:28:50 PM PDT
by
mikrofon
(Aim High)
To: Buckeye McFrog
I would bet that these guys have been without oxygen for a while now and are pretty much brain dead.
10
posted on
06/20/2012 12:34:13 PM PDT
by
History Repeats
(If Obama had a son, he'd have his picture hanging on the wall of the Post office wanted board.)
To: a fool in paradise
Iraq. Now that’s a fun place to take a balloon trip!
To: a fool in paradise
12
posted on
06/20/2012 12:38:07 PM PDT
by
Joe 6-pack
(Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
To: a fool in paradise
Why can’t the Iraqi’s guarantee them a secure take-off in a football stadium? The AK bursts aren’t likely to begin until they hit 200-300 feet, at least.
It’d be like a skeet event for people who prefer single handed full-auto shooting while shreiking “Allah Akbar” at the top of their lungs.
To: gzzimlich
great post
I’m laughing so hard I choked on my cup of tea LOL
To: gzzimlich
They might accidentally hit Mohammed on his flying horse if they launch in Iraq.
15
posted on
06/20/2012 12:44:02 PM PDT
by
a fool in paradise
(The media ignored the 40th anniversary of Bill Ayers' Pentagon bombing but not Watergate. Ask Why.)
To: a fool in paradise
Prediction: Crashes then the families sue the lawn chair manufacturer.
16
posted on
06/20/2012 12:52:33 PM PDT
by
llevrok
(2012 : Elect Adults)
To: Buckeye McFrog
In a real hot air balloon, oxygen is required if you fly over 10,000 feet.
17
posted on
06/20/2012 1:35:17 PM PDT
by
abner
(I have no tagline, therefore no identity.)
To: a fool in paradise
"The men had to scrub a tandem flight last fall after Iraqi officials said they couldn't provide security for the liftoff from a Baghdad soccer stadium"
No $hit ?
18
posted on
06/20/2012 1:40:05 PM PDT
by
fieldmarshaldj
(If you like lying Socialist dirtbags, you'll love Slick Willard)
To: a fool in paradise
Love Miranda Otto http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337960/
19
posted on
06/20/2012 2:22:21 PM PDT
by
roostercashews
(A gun doesn't make you safer, but knowing how to use one does.)
To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; Convert from ECUSA; ...
Thanks a fool in paradise.
The flight will be a warm-up for another one planned for this fall in Iraq.
20
posted on
06/20/2012 4:42:12 PM PDT
by
SunkenCiv
(https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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