Couch Flies High in Chair

Kent Couch of Bend, OR, floated 193 miles at an average height of 11,000 feet  to La Grande, OR, in a lawn chair attached to 105 balloons. It took him almost 9 hours. He equipped himself with all the essential high-tech equipment to make the flight—a cell phone for communications and a knife to cut the balloons.

Couch also carried a GPS device. This allowed his chase crew to track him and, eventually, pick him up. While Couch says enjoyed the flight he was disappointed to not reach his goal—Idaho.