Lawn chair balloonist to ride again, with co-pilot

AP via Houston Chronicle ^ | Monday, June 18, 2012 | JEFF BARNARD, Associated Press

[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...

[a fool in paradise]

Up UP and AWAY PING.

[Uncle Chip]

An imitator:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Walters

[HerrBlucher]

What a Couch potato.

[StormEye]

"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.

[EQAndyBuzz]

When did the Darwin awards add a Doubles category?

[a fool in paradise]

Hold muh beer and watch this!

[Buckeye McFrog]

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.

[mikrofon]

[History Repeats]

I would bet that these guys have been without oxygen for a while now and are pretty much brain dead.

[SamAdams76]

Iraq. Now that’s a fun place to take a balloon trip!

[Joe 6-pack]

There was a Brazilian Priest who tried this a few years ago.

The winds blew him off course. I don't believe his body was ever recovered from the Atlantic.

[gzzimlich]

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.

[nascarnation]

great post
I’m laughing so hard I choked on my cup of tea LOL

[a fool in paradise]

They might accidentally hit Mohammed on his flying horse if they launch in Iraq.

[llevrok]

Prediction: Crashes then the families sue the lawn chair manufacturer.

[abner]

In a real hot air balloon, oxygen is required if you fly over 10,000 feet.

[fieldmarshaldj]

"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 ?

[roostercashews]

Love Miranda Otto http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337960/

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks a fool in paradise.

The flight will be a warm-up for another one planned for this fall in Iraq.