Next 'Cluster Balloon' Flight Will Be For Two | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-04.29.24

Airborne-NextGen-04.30.24

Airborne-Unlimited-05.01.24 Airborne-AffordableFlyers--05.02.24

Airborne-Unlimited-05.03.24

Mon, Jun 25, 2012

Next 'Cluster Balloon' Flight Will Be For Two

Iraqi Skydiver To Accompany Kent Couch In July Flight

It's the stuff of cartoons, except that it really works. In 2008, Kent Couch managed to fly a lawn chair suspended under dozens of party balloons some 235 miles from Bend, OR, to a farmers field in Idaho.

But when he next attempts such a flight, which right now is planned for July 14th, Couch will have a passenger. His friend, described as Iraqi "adventurer and skydiver" Fareed Lafta, will be seated in a second lawn chair underneath 350 balloons.

Television station KATU reports that the pair hopes to fly over 400 miles, from Couch's convenience store and gas station in Bend to somewhere in southwestern Montana. The flight is expected to have the pair aloft through the night. Couch said they won't be able to fly above FL180 due to FAA regulations, but should still be able to attain enough altitude to go that distance.

The pair plans to make another flight this year, ascending from a soccer stadium in Baghdad. They had wanted to make that flight last year, but it was scrubbed when Iraqi officials said they could not provide sufficient security for the takeoff.

Couch flies under a cluster of colorful balloons with enough lift to get him airborne. When he's ready to descend, he pulls out a Red Ryder BB gun and pops just enough balloons to start him towards the ground. Flight Coordinator Mark Knowles said they hope they are able to have an official observer on hand for the July 14th flight to have it certified in the Guinness Book of World Records. (Pictured: Kent Couch Image from file)

FMI: www.couchballoons.com

Advertisement

More News

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (05.02.24)

Aero Linx: Model Aeronautical Association of Australia MAAA clubs are about fun flying, camaraderie and community. For over 75 years, the MAAA has been Australia’s largest fl>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (05.02.24): Touchdown Zone Lighting

Touchdown Zone Lighting Two rows of transverse light bars located symmetrically about the runway centerline normally at 100 foot intervals. The basic system extends 3,000 feet alon>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (05.02.24)

“Discovery and innovation are central to our mission at Virgin Galactic. We’re excited to build on our successful record of facilitating scientific experiments in subor>[...]

ANN FAQ: Contributing To Aero-TV

How To Get A Story On Aero-TV News/Feature Programming How do I submit a story idea or lead to Aero-TV? If you would like to submit a story idea or lead, please contact Jim Campbel>[...]

NTSB Final Report: Cirrus Design Corp SR20

Student Pilot Reported That During Rotation, “All Of A Sudden The Back Of The Plane Kicked To The Right..." Analysis: The student pilot reported that during rotation, “>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2024 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC