Getting High With Balloons

Bend Man Flies Across Oregon In A Lawn Chair

By Joseph Friedrichs, 7-10-07

Bend gas station owner Kent Couch spent last weekend as many do in Central Oregon - gazing at massive mountains, allowing nature to offer solitude and pretty much taking it easy.

It’s just that Couch decided to spend his free time in a flying lawn chair dangling at more than 11,000 feet off the ground.

Supported by balloons, yes balloons, Couch carried a global positioning system device, a two-way radio, a digital camcorder and a cell phone on his mission. He also had an altimeter, speed gauge and about four plastic bags holding five gallons of water each to act as a balancing system. Essentially, Couch’s aircraft was a homemade hot-air balloon.

His destination was Idaho, but after nine hours of flight time, he came up just short. He ended up landing about 193 miles from Central Oregon, in a farmer’s field near Union, having crossed much of the state at 11,000 feet and higher, the Associated Press reported. 

This was Couch’s second flight. In September, he got to 15,000 feet on a 6-hour trip, the AP reported.

Couch, 47, is the latest American to emulate Larry Walters - who in 1982 rose three miles above Los Angeles in a lawn chair lifted by balloons.

Walters surprised an airline pilot, who radioed the control tower that he had just passed a guy in a lawn chair with a gun, the AP reported. The weapon was to shoot balloons and descend. Walters paid a $1,500 penalty for violating air traffic rules.

Eleven years later, he committed suicide at age 44. 

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