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Balloons. i've never done that. party balloons seem real dependable. the funny thing is usually i use a lawn chair because it's comfortable and i can recline it and i can lean back. it's kind of redneck, and i'm kind of redneck. >> there are some federal aviation rules to follow. but remarkably, as long as couch's aircraft stays under 254 pounds, he isn't required to have a pilot's license nor is he required to register with the faa. but couch does need some technical assistance. >> mark noel is my friend who has done a great job of making everything better. he's a techie guy who thinks about ...

>> it got like that big. because the pressure lightens as you get up. there isn't 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 doesn't do anything until it gets to heavier air. >> at one point, it rocked head over heels. even though it didn't have head or heels. it was just like that. it w...

It was traffic cone paint, so it really stood out. >> although the neon paint will make it easier to spot, they will need something much more dependable if they want to find it. >> an iphone seemed to have the best app to track the balloon. it gives you longitude and latitude but altitude as well. >> if you lost your phone, you would have where to track it. and we could follow it. >> next to the camera was a little hd camera that's used for sky diving stunts and motor sports and things like that. the whole craft with the camera and tracking system is within the four-pound limit for faa regulat...

It. because we were eating it and watching it at our kitchen table the first time. and we were so focused on the screen and eating at the same time and it's whooshes around. >> but once it reaches the stratosphere, everything levels out. >> we were shooting from about 80,000 feet. twice as high as a plane. three times as high as a plane. >> according to his iphone, the craft peaks at about 100,000 feet or 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. it's enormous. a litt...

Couch's aircraft stays under 254 pounds, he isn't required to have a pilot's license nor is he required to register with the faa. but couch does need some technical assistance. >> mark noel is my friend who has done a great job of making everything work so much better. he's a techie guy who thinks about things i don't think about. >> it might look unsafe, but a 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. kent's lawn chair is outfitted with all the gear he'll need to survive a long trip. from...