Rocket Ship

 

In 1982, Larry Walters, a 33-year-old truck driver from San Pedro, California, packed a CB radio, some sandwiches and beer, and a pellet gun. He tied 42 helium-filled weather balloons to his lawn chair and launched himself into the sky. His plan was to float serenely above his neighborhood. When he was done enjoying the view, he meant to shoot a few of the balloons and drift gently back down. That’s not exactly what happened. Larry shot up like a rocket, quickly surpassing 16,000 feet. He was suddenly in the controlled airspace of Los Angeles International Airport. Several commercial pilots reported a man in a lawn chair in their flight paths. Eventually, Larry drifted into power lines, causing a blackout in Long Beach. Against all odds, he returned to earth without killing himself or anyone else. "Lawn Chair Larry" was immediately arrested. He later made an appearance on the Tonight Show, and his lawn chair was displayed in the Smithsonian.