Larry Walters - Imitators

Imitators

Kent Couch, a 47-year-old gas station owner from Bend, Oregon, reportedly flew 240 miles (390 km) in his lawn chair on Saturday, July 7, 2007, landing in a field about 3½ miles NNW of North Powder, Oregon, about 30 miles (48 km) from the Idaho border. Traveling an average of 22 mph, Couch used plastic bags filled with 75 litres (20 gallons) of water as ballast against the 105 large helium balloons tied to his lawn chair. Like Walters, Couch also had a BB gun on hand to shoot the balloons in order to initiate descent on his first attempt. During his flight he developed a way to release helium out of the balloons allowing for a more controlled descent. On July 5, 2008, Couch finally realized his goal of interstate travel when he landed his lawnchair safely in western Idaho. The trip totaled 240 miles (390 km) and took 9 hours and 12 minutes.

On January 13, 2008, the Brazilian Roman Catholic priest Adelir Antonio de Carli lifted off from Ampere, Brazil, suspended under 600 brightly colored helium-filled party balloons, and reached an altitude of 5,300 m (17,390 ft) before landing safely in Argentina. On April 20, 2008, lifting off from Paranagua, Brazil, in an attempt to fly 725 km (450 mi) inland to Dourados, Brazil, he flew using a chair suspended under 1,000 party balloons, reaching an altitude of 20,000 feet (6,096 m). He did not check the weather forecast and got caught in a storm. He had a GPS but did not know how to operate it. He was last heard on the radio eight hours after liftoff approaching the water after flying off the coast, unable to give his position, and crashed in the Atlantic Ocean; his body was found by the Brazilian Navy near an offshore oil platform on July 4, 2008. The act won him a 2008 Darwin Award.