Page 3 - Cluster Balloon News Today

>> i call cluster ballooning simply a way to get up in the air with a group of balloons. some people would use weather balloons. ive never done that. party balloons seem real dependable. the funny thing is usually i use a lawn chair because its comfortable and i can recline it and i can lean back. its kind of redneck, and im kind of redneck. >> there are some federal aviation rules to follow. but remarkably, as long as couchs aircraft stays under 254 pounds, he isnt required to have a pilots lic...

There. im not a guy to sit still. >> despite missing the mark, he knows hes still broken his previous record. so couch prepares to land. >> you got to have a way to make sure you can get these balloons popped on the way down. my preference is a daisy red rider bb gun. >> it only takes a couple of balloons to change him from ascending to descending. >> im coming in on a gradual descent. im looking for an open area. no fences or wires or houses or roads. thats what im hoping for. >> couch touches ...

The winds have pushed him off course about 85 miles north of the city. >> i was a bit tired of being up there. im not a guy to sit still. >> despite missing the mark, he knows hes still broken his previous record. so couch prepares to land. >> you got to have a way to make sure you can get these balloons popped on the way down. my preference is a daisy red rider bb gun. >> it only takes a couple of balloons to change him from ascending to descending. >> im coming in on a gradual descent. im look...

Lot of care and attention has gone to make it very safe. >> cluster ballooning has come a long way since it was first attempted in the early 1930s. kents lawn chair is outfitted with all the gear hell need to survive a long trip. from a gps system so his ground crew can track him, to an oxygen tank so he can breathe above 13,000 feet. and lucky for us, it also includes cameras to document his voyages. but in preparation for breaking his record, the most valuable tool for couch is the experience ...

Blow up one balloon. we dont want to blow them up all the way because we want room for them to expand. >> after all the balloons are staged, we put them in clusters of five. then you start assembling the groups of five into larger assemblies of 15 or 20. >> once everything checks out, couch kisses his wife and, with cameras rolling, begins the ascent. >> for the most part, i cant steer myself. thats what i like about this little cluster ballooning thing. you just go where the winds take you. >> ...

Nearly 19 miles above the earth on its 95-minute voyage. >> at the very end, the balloon is stretched to its absolute maximum capacity. it was about 22 feet in diameter. its enormous. a little craft below it. >> it got like that big. because the pressure lightens as you get up. there isnt a lot of oxygen. and the air is very thin. >> the pressure of the helium inside the balloon is now much greater than the surrounding air pressure. so it continues to expand until finally the balloon pops and th...

Staged, we put them in clusters of five. then you start assembling the groups of five into larger assemblies of 15 or 20. >> once everything checks out, couch kisses his wife and, with cameras rolling, begins the ascent. >> for the most part, i cant steer myself. thats what i like about this little cluster ballooning thing. you just go where the winds take you. >> the thing you wouldnt realize is how peaceful it is up there. its super quiet. hes traveling at the same speed of the wind. even when...

Balloon, the two kids, max and his best friend, myles, were just so excited. >> we bought like some lollipops so me and myles were really hyped up. >> the kids give this really great countdown. >> ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, zero, blast off! >> we cut off the balloon. then it goes up. >> it started rocking wildly like crazy. it was going about 25 feet a second. it was pretty fast. after about two minutes, it disappeared into the clouds. >> they track the crafts coo...

>> despite missing the mark, he knows hes still broken his previous record. so couch prepares to land. >> youve got to have a way to make sure you can get these balloons popped on the way down. my preference is a daisy red rider bb gun. >> it only takes a couple of balloons to change him from ascending to descending. >> im coming in on a gradual descent. im looking for an open area. no fences or wires or houses or roads. thats what im hoping for. >> couch touches down in cambridge, idaho, to a h...

A little craft below it. >> it got like that big. because the pressure lightens as you get up. there isnt a lot of oxygen. and the air is very thin. >> the pressure of the helium inside the balloon is now much greater than the surrounding air pressure. so it continues to expand until finally the balloon pops and the craft comes plummeting back to earth at more than 100 miles an hour. >> so the parachute deploys maybe 30 seconds after the balloon bursts. it doesnt do anything until it gets to hea...