Lawn Chair Larry
Larry Walters, whose story inspired much astonishment and at least two films, had long dreamt of flying. He got to fulfil that dream, but ultimately couldn’t live without it.
On 2 July 1982 Larry Walters 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. 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 20 years later, in cahoots with his girlfriend Carol Van Deusen, that he decided to go for it.
Other than the lawn chair (purchased from a Sears catalog, [RR1: 68]), the 42 weather balloons and the helium tanks, 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 did not 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. But the initial ascent was too fast and snapped the rope tied to his Jeep. After 45 minutes he was approaching the 16,000 feet mark and was drifting into the controlled airspace surrounding LAX. Commercial pilots started reporting their sightings. 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 20 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 forest 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 lifelong dream, but ultimately couldn’t live without it.
Video
Episode 10: Anchoring and Adjustment Bias, Rosie the Riveter, Lawnchair Larry, Lunch Atop a Skyscraper
In a negotiation, why is it always better to start out by making an ambitious offer? Who was Rosie the Riveter and how did she become such a legendary symbol? Who was Lawn Chair Larry, and what did he do with 42 helium filled weather balloons? And finally, in this episode … we tell the story of
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