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From: paul@uiucuxc.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.aviation
Subject: Re: True story or whopper? - (nf)
Message-ID: <10800005@uiucuxc.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 11-Aug-84 14:57:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: uiucuxc.10800005
Posted: Sat Aug 11 14:57:00 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 12-Aug-84 06:54:12 EDT
References: <557@bnl.UUCP>
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Nf-ID: #R:bnl:-55700:uiucuxc:10800005:000:950
Nf-From: uiucuxc!paul    Aug 11 13:57:00 1984

#R:bnl:-55700:uiucuxc:10800005:000:950
uiucuxc!paul    Aug 11 13:57:00 1984

I was in Santa Monica, CA when the ballon & lawnchair pilot made his
ascent.  He tied ~40 helium weather ballons to a chair and carried a
CO2 pellet pistol to pop the ballons.  He was over 12,000 feet and
possibly above the TCA.  The ascent was so rapid he lost his eyeglasses.
He started popping balloons when he felt it was too cold.  He would have
died from the landing impact (no parachute) if his balloon tethers hadn't
wrapped around some power lines.  Some folks just have a charmed life.

The FAA was in a bit of a quandry deciding what to charge him with.  They
wanted to discourage other folks from this sort of entertainment.
I believe they settled on flying an aircraft with no airworthiness
certificate, some fine, plus reimbursing the power company for the line
repairs.

         Paul Pomes

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