Roner uses helium balloons for a skydive

[HotTate]

Watch as Erik Roner uses 50 tanks of helium, 90 balloons, and a lawn chair … and a shotgun, for a skydive.

[406]

Clever idea.

[SmokinRox]

Phew. Haven't been that high off a balloon since my mule egg ruptured in my lower intestine at MIA.

[TahoeJ]

That was awesome. Very creative.

[Buster Highmen]

copycat.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Walters

[406]

why did he shoot the balloons?

[Johnny Deep]

What will the kids think of next.

[ak_powder_monkey]

sky diving with a shot gun... why the fuck not?

[zartagen]

FKNA! I loved the sudden separation from the lawn chair. It was also cool to go back and show the store clerks.

I had a homework assignment about lawn chair larry back in engineering school. I think it was in aerodynamics class, of all things.

[TahoeJ]

What will the kids think of next.

Not new. I heard Nobis did it like 10 years back, just not on video. ;-)

[ddsnake]

Not new. I heard Nobis did it like 10 years back, just not on video. ;-)

What Roner did was rad.

Not sure if he claimed first acent, but "Armchair Larry" was an OG, doing this in 1982…


In mid-1982, Walters and his girlfriend, Carol Van Deusen, purchased 45 eight-foot weather balloons and obtained helium tanks from California Toy Time Balloons. They used a forged requisition from his employer, FilmFair Studios, saying the balloons were for a television commercial. Walters attached the balloons to his lawn chair, filled them with helium, put on a parachute, and strapped himself into the chair in the backyard of a home at 1633 W. 7th St. in San Pedro. He took his pellet gun, a CB radio, sandwiches, cold beer[dubious – discuss] and a camera.[citation needed] When his friends cut the cord that tied his lawn chair to his Jeep, Walters's lawn chair rose rapidly to a height of about 15,000 feet (4,600 m). At first, he did not dare shoot any balloons, fearing that he might unbalance the load and cause himself to spill out. He slowly drifted over Long Beach and crossed the primary approach corridor of Long Beach Airport.

He was in contact with REACT, a Citizen band radio monitoring organization, who recorded their conversation:

REACT: What information do you wish me to tell [the airport] at this time as to your location and your difficulty?
Larry: Ah, the difficulty is, ah, this was an unauthorized balloon launch, and, uh, I know I'm in a federal airspace, and, uh, I'm sure my ground crew has alerted the proper authority. But, uh, just call them and tell them I'm okay.
After 45 minutes in the sky, he shot several balloons, and then accidentally dropped his pellet gun overboard. He descended slowly, until the balloons' dangling cables got caught in a power line, causing a 20-minute electricity blackout in a Long Beach neighborhood. Walters was able to climb to the ground.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Walters

[JAREDS]

http://clusterballoon.org

Second time I've referenced this dude today