In 1982, Larry Walters—a California truck driver with no pilot training—decided to fulfill a lifelong dream of flying.

His aircraft?

A lawn chair tied to 42 helium-filled weather balloons, carrying nothing but a BB gun, sandwich, beer, camera, and a CB radio.

He called it “Inspiration I.”

His goal? Float a few dozen feet over his backyard.
What actually happened?

He shot up to 16,000 feet, entering restricted airspace above Los Angeles, startling commercial airline pilots mid-flight. 🛫😳

After floating for hours, Larry started popping balloons with his BB gun to descend—but got tangled in power lines, causing a brief blackout in Long Beach before safely landing.

📻 His CB radio call:

“This is Lawn Chair Larry. I’m 16,000 feet up… and I think I’m in trouble.”

🚓 He was fined by the FAA but instantly became a media legend. His flight inspired books, songs, and documentaries, and even influenced scenes in Pixar’s “Up.”

💬 Moral of the story?
Sometimes the craziest dreams can literally take you to new heights.

Source: Only Engineers Can Understand