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US man flies 193 miles in deckchair

Smallbrainfield

There's a very famous near - Darwin Award 

...along similar lines to this, but the guy ended up in the flightpath for LAX. Apparently, he'd only intended to hover around his garden...

Martin Gregorie

That Darwin award... 

A summary of Larry Walters' flight is here:

http://www.panix.com/clay/stupid/pilot.html

Anonymous Coward

Couch and flying chairs 

Oh dear Lester...

Keep'em coming.

Anonymous Coward

So who took the photograph? 

...at 10'000 feet?

Anonymous Coward

Identical story 

The hilarious Darwin Award story can be found here:

http://darwinawards.com/stupid/stupid1998-11.html

Karl Lattimer

Lawn Chair Larry II 

http://www.darwinawards.com/stupid/stupid1998-11.html

Now it fails to mention that larry, while atop the clouds in his helium erm powered lawn chair had actually managed to shoot his own balls off when he attempted to descend.

He killed himself a little while later, without fathering any children, thank god!

Anonymous Coward

...url... 

http://darwinawards.com/stupid/stupid1998-11.html

Tim Rand

Just like the Austrialian movie 

"Danny Deck Chair" http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Danny_Deckchair/60033353?trkid=181036&strkid=2032892203_0_0 This is pretty funny!

Joe K

Expect lots of copycats now 

The pics look lovely, doesn't everyone want to sit on a comfortable deckchair, enjoying the most amazing view you'd see outside of a scary (and short) parachute jump?

See you in the skies.

Anonymous Coward

Being in Oregon has its advantages.. 

The news broadcasts where local here...even though it happened on the other side of the state.

There where helicopters flying about the area.... keeping watch.

I wonder what the FAA thought of this little "stunt".

Anonymous Coward

Hostnames 

I was working a while ago on a control system for a UK airport, and had the sysadmin's privilege of choosing hostnames. So the 9 machines were all named after pioneers of aviations (orville, wilbur, bleriot, whittle, earhart etc), and I found myself 2 short. So for the first I chose "cochrane" (yes, I know, I could have gone for Gagarin or Armstrong, but I'm a geek), and for the final one I chose "walters", as he must be regarded as a pioneer.

George Brown

Winpenny... 

Given the regularity of Winpenny's contributions to the site, I suspect that working too hard is some distance from the truth...

Mark Harrison

Lawn Chair Flight happened in 1982 

http://www.snopes.com/travel/airline/walters.asp

I remember seeing Larry on Carson.

Jim Booth

No Frills? 

Is there no limit to what no frills airlines will cut out of the flight these days? :P

Peter

Good job it wasn't in the UK 

They'd probably do him for tax evasion, and terrorism

Tricia Pulley

There's a song about this... 

My friend Bryan Rivers wrote a song about Larry Walters' flight in his lawn chair - it's called "Up in the Air." http://www.bryanrivers.com. Good song, great album (his 1st one, eponymous). Anyway, not something I would try, and I'm rather amused that someone would want to repeat the stunt!!!

Steven Pepperell

To give the guy his dues 

Its got fluckload more leg room than easyjet :P

Neil Anderson

11,000 feet is like really high 

“assorted drinks and snacks”

What? Did he have a flight attendant too?

ps The photo credit is Pete Erickson / The Bulletin

Image orders here:

http://bendbulletin.mycapture.com/mycapture/enlarge.asp?image=15445436

Neil Anderson

http://www.cyclelogicpress.com

Anonymous Coward

Mr. Brown 

2.12 - Chris