Lawn Chair Balloonist Set for Next Ride
A man who rode 235 miles in a lawn chair tethered to a bouquet of balloons has announced he will ride again, but this time he'll be joined by a co-pilot.
Kent Couch and Iraqi adventurer Fareed Lafta plan to take off from Couch's gas station in Bend, Ore., on July 14 . The daredevil pair say they hope to clear at least 400 miles, which would mean a landing somewhere near southwestern Montana.
The pair also plan to embark on another flight together in the fall, this time in Iraq.
The lawn chair balloonists are using the flight as an opportunity to raise awareness for Iraqi orphans, Couch said on his website.
In 2008, the cluster balloonist gained national attention when he floated from his home state of Oregon to Idaho.
He described the appeal of floating through the sky on a lawn chair to ABC News' Diane Sawyer in 2007.
"It was serene, just like you're on top of a cloud laying there," Couch said. "It was just like being on ice, nice and smooth."
