Larry Walters had long dreamt of flying.
On 2 July 1982 Larry’s dream came true when he sat (unrestrained) on an aluminium lawn chair connected to a cluster of 42 helium-filled weather balloons, took off from the backyard of a house in California, and rapidly ascended to an altitude of 16,000 feet (4,900 metres).
The world's media reported his flight and he appeared on both The Tonight Show (Johnny Carson) and Late Show with David Letterman the following week. Watch the Letterman interview HERE. Larry’s feat became the inspiration for at least two films that feature cluster ballooning: Disney/Pixar’s Up from 2009, and the 2003 Australian film Danny Deckchair starring Rhys Ifans and Miranda Otto.
Larry first thought about using weather balloons to fly when he was 13, after seeing them hanging from the ceiling of a military surplus store; and it was twenty years later, in cahoots with his girlfriend Carol Van Deusen, that he decided to go for it.
Other than the lawn chair (purchased from Sears), the 42 weather balloons and the helium tanks (purchased from California Toy Time Balloons using the pretence that they were for use in a television commercial) his rig included: a two-way radio; an altimeter; a hand compass; a flashlight; extra batteries; a medical kit; a pocket knife; eight plastic bottles of water that were placed on the sides of the chair, for ballast; sandwiches; cold beer; two litres of Coca-Cola (Larry loved Coke); and a pellet gun, for shooting at the balloons when he was looking to lose altitude. He also wore a parachute. [Ed: Maybe a bit crazy, but not completely insane.]
Things didn’t go to plan. His intention was to pause at around the 40 metre mark while Carol made some calls to alert the authorities about what he was doing. However, the initial ascent was too fast, and snapped the rope that was tied to his Jeep. After 45 minutes he was approaching the 16,000 feet mark and was drifting into the controlled airspace surrounding Los Angeles International Airport. Commercial pilots reported sighting him to the tower. He was also becoming short of breath. So, he shot seven balloons with his pellet gun, but then accidentally dropped it. During the landing, the “aircraft” became entangled in power lines, but Walters was able to climb down safely.
The Long Beach Police Department was waiting for him. They arrested him immediately, and he was fined US$1,500 for breaking US Federal Aviation Regulations.
A reporter asked Larry why he had done it. He said: “A man can't just sit around." He went on to say that he had dreamed about flying this way for twenty years; and that if he had not tried it, he would have become crazy.
But what do you do after you've achieved your lifelong dream?
Larry, interviewed by The New Yorker’s George Plimpton, was asked: “So what was your feeling after it was all over?” After a long pause he said: “Life seems a little empty, because I always had this thing to look forward to – to strive for and dream about, you know. It got me through the Army and Vietnam – just dreaming about it, you know …”
Sadly, the story doesn’t end well. Eleven years after his infamous flight, Larry’s story had faded from the headlines, and he was living a quiet life as a volunteer forrest ranger. On 6 October 1993, Larry hiked to his favourite campsite and shot himself in the heart. He left no note.
Larry had lived his life long dream, but ultimately couldn't live without it.
Story Idea: Remo Giuffré
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References
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Walters
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawnchair_Larry_flight
https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/chair-lawn-larry-walters/nasm_A20181388000
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1998/06/01/the-man-in-the-flying-lawn-chair
https://www.nirvan.com/lawnchairpilot
Images
1. Lawn Chair Larry with rig
2. Larry's chair displayed at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum's facility in Chantilly, Virginia
3. Larry's rig included four clusters of balloons
4. The flight path
5. Video: Larry interviewed by David Letterman, 12 July 1982
6. Timex featured Larry in its 1992 series of ads about “adventurous” people
7. Poster for the film Danny Deckchair, 2003
8. Poster for the film Up, 2009
