Lawn-Chair Pilot Plans Record 300-Mile Flight

Oregon man will strap on 150 balloons for third attempt at reaching Idaho

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 4, 2008 12:45 PM CDT

(Newser) – An Oregon man plans to strap 150 balloons to his lawn chair tomorrow for his third attempt to fly to Idaho, reports the Chicago Tribune. Kent Couch made it 193 miles in last year's effort before landing in scrub land. This year, with corporate sponsorship behind him—and his wife's blessing—he's confident he can make it all the way to Boise.

"The first time, nobody wanted to be involved at all. They were thinking I was a lunatic, I mean a balloon-atic. My friends shunned me. But this time it's different," said Couch, who plans a chair-borne jaunt to Australia if this flight succeeds.

[Images (3)]

[Videos (1)]

Kent Couch explains some technology improvements in this year's cluster ballooning flight. (vdeoguy)

The view from a lawnchair over Oregon, filmed on Kent Couch's last attempt to fly to Idaho. (blaggabloogy)

An Oregon man is planning to tie 150 helium balloons to his lawnchair and fly it to Idaho. (eduardobiguette)

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Kent Couch explains some technology improvements in this years cluster ballooning flight. (vdeoguy)

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Lawn-Chair Pilot Plans Record 300-Mile Flight