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

Lawn Chair Larry

On July 2nd, 1982, Larry Walters tied 42 helium-filled balloons to a Sears lawn chair in San Pedro, California. His crew cut the tether and he unexpectedly shot up into the Los Angeles sky at more than 1,000 feet per minute—to 16,000 feet.

Discover his path of flight, his sighting by airline pilots, his run-in with the FAA and his landing. Hear the radio transmissions between Larry, his ground crew and the FAA.

Learn about gas-cluster ballooning. Get the full story of this Darwin Award winner.


Dan Poynter is past president of the Parachute Industry Association, past chairman of the Board of the U.S. Parachute Association and past president of the International Hang Gliding Commission. He has written more than 120 books; seven on parachutes and skydiving. A pilot, skydiver and master parachute rigger, this Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) is a frequent speaker at aviation and other events.

S-19 Keynote, multimedia with historic videos, maps and
sound. 50 minutes

1. The Incredible Ascent of the Lawn Chair Balloonist with Dan Poynter, CSP. Unidentified Flying . . . Larry Dan Poynter ’ s

2. Aviation Pioneer July 2, 1982 San Pedro, California.

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 him

4. 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) He Became Famous

5. “ The citation is bestowed upon (the remains of) that individual, who through single-minded self-sacrifice, 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 . Natural Selection Survival of the fittest Dies before he can reproduce

6. An Award was Named for Him The Lawn Chair Larry Award

7. The Desire to Fly is Universal Even some fish can fly

8. His Boyhood Dream Was to Fly Joined Air Force to be a pilot Disqualified for poor eyesight

9. Larry Was a Loner and a Dreamer “ A man can ’ t just sit around ”

10. Larry had an Idea Attach weather balloons to a lawn chair . . .

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: $3-4,000

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."

13. While Tethered Provisions Pellet gun Not tied down Sandwiches CB radio Life Vest Altimeter Parachute Camera Compass Flashlight Medical kit Six Pack of beer

14. The Parachute Drove to Skydive/Lake Elsinore Made a jump Bought a parachute for $900

15. Take Off from San Pedro Home of Girlfriend, Carol. LAX T.O.

16. Inflation & Launch Site (Small) back yard of girlfriend Carol ’ s home

17. Filling Balloons with Helium (He) 55 Helium Cylinders Filling Process

18. 150 ’ of Cable; 4 tiers of Balloons 42 weather balloons 7 feet in diameter (2m) 12 pounds (5.5 Kg) of lift each (504 lbs)

19. Midnight Visit Sheriff ’ s Deputies: “ What ’ s going on here? ” Larry: “ We are getting ready to film a commercial in the morning. ” (They believed him and left)

20. Navigating the “ Inspiration I ” To Descend: Shoot Balloons. To Ascend: Pour out ballast (water). Planned to hover at a few hundred feet

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. ”

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 Coke

23. 10:15 AM: Premature Ascent Larry cut one tether The edge of the roof cut the other Larry rocketed into the sky above San Pedro

24. He Ascended Rapidly 1,000 feet per minute Friends, neighbors, reporters and cameramen looked on

25. 1,500 ’ - Radio Contact Larry ’ s girlfriend Carol on the CB radio 1 Lost his glasses

26. Camera Larry: “ I was so amazed by the view I didn't even take one picture. ”

27. No Place to Land 2 Finally leveled off at 16,000 ’ (4876 m)

28. Sighted by Pilots TWA pilot: Passing a guy in a lawn chair at 16,000! United pilot: Guy in a lawn chair with a gun.

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

30. Second Thoughts Larry: “ When I got to 15,000 feet, the air was getting thin. Enough of the ride I thought. I ’ d 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. ”

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. ”

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

33. A Call from the Tower 4 Tower: “ Say your point of departure ” Tower: “ What airport did you take off from? ”

34. “ I See a Freeway ”

35. Others Were Even More Excited Than Larry 5 Tower: “ You say you have a cluster of 35 balloons? ” Down to 10,000 ’ 35 balloons left

36. Where to Land? He hoped for Long Beach Country Club

37. Landed Short of the Country Club Wind

38. 6,000 ’ and Descending 6 Tower: “ Stay on this frequency ” 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)

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. ”

40. Drifted Northeast for 2+ Hours San Pedro to Long Beach Ground winds from East; upper winds from SW Mohave Desert & Edwards Air Force Base Wind

41. Landing in Long Beach Mohave Desert & Edwards Air Force Base

42. Crash Site 432 E. 45th Street in Long Beach

43. The Reception Larry: It ’ s 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 guy ’ s face—like 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. ”

44. Researcher Mark Barry in Front Yard of Crash Site

45. Mark Barry with Larry ’ s Chair Larry gave the chair to some admiring neighborhood children A decision he later regretted The Smithsonian requested to preserve it in their museum.

46. No Report on What Happened to the Beer

47. Jerry with Larry ’ s Chair Years later, Jerry, the “ neighborhood kid ” saw Mark Barry ’ s web site on Larry and emailed Mark. He still had the chair. Mark called Carol and Larry ’ s mother Hazel.

48. Unveiling Jerry unveiled the chair in a Long Beach restaurant. Mark Barry addressed the group of 30

49. But What Happened to the Beer? Good Dog Bad Dog

50. Neal Savoy, FAA Regional Safety Inspector. 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." 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. ”

51. FAA Cited him for 4 Violations & Fined him $4,000 Operating a civil aircraft without an air-worthiness certificate Creating a danger to other aircraft Entering an airport traffic area without two-way communications with the tower Creating a hazard to the life and property of others

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. ”

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 $3,000

54. Larry Countered Would admit to “ failing to maintain two-way radio contact with the airport ” Pay a $1,000 penalty Drop other two charges

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."

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.

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

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."

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. ”

60. The Play "The Flight of the Lawn Chair Man, “ played in Philadelphia in 2000. Larry ’ s adventure became the subject of a play

61. Danny Deckchair - the Film Danny Deckchair. Australian Film 2004 An Aussie becomes a national sensation when he lifts off in his deck chair tied to balloons.

62. Mount Hood Pizza Celebrates Anniversary of Larry Walters Lawn Chair Flight Into Space July 2, 2007, Craig Davisson launched a mannequin version of world famous Larry Walters.

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 Boston ’ s 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

64. Larry Pioneered Others Followed Adam Savage soars in the sky as a tribute to "Lawn Chair Larry" Walters' flight in 1982.

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.

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 balloons

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 ’ diameter

68. The Harness A paragliding harness Supine Integral parachute Padded back protector Water ballast in 2-gallon bladders designed for camping use

69. Liftoff John Ninomiya

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 aircraft

71. Modern Cluster Ballooning

72. Gas and Hot Air

73. Grape Adventure John is up inside the cluster

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.

75. Larry ’ s Tombstone Plaque Song In 1993, Larry hiked to a remote spot in Angeles National Forest & shot himself in the chest. Relatives knew of no motive for the suicide 8

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 44

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."

78. Larry, Why did you do it? "A man can't just sit around ”

79. Questions “ If God wanted us to stay on the ground, He would have given us roots. ” A few minutes for your questions before we go into the closing slides.

80. Please Tell Others About This Program Aviators Parachute people Skydivers Veterans Military General audiences

81. Aviation Programs Tiny Broadwick Sam Patch, Original Jumper. Floyd Smith North Pole Briefing Lawn Chair Larry Jumping Without a Parachute Caterpillar Club Charles Lindbergh ’ s Jumps ChiChi Jima See Program Details on the Website

82. The End Credits Mark Barry. Photos and story. http://MarkBarry.com John Ninomiya. Cluster balloons and video. http://ClusterBalloon.org