Adventurer Tom Morgan Described The Flight As 'Magical'

There's been another flight of a lawn chair suspended under a cluster of helium balloons.

The most recent flight took place last Friday in South Africa. The BBC reports that Bristol resident Tom Morgan rode in his makeshift aircraft to an altitude of about 8,000 feet. He had initially attempted the stunt in Botswana, but moved to South Africa after several failed attempts. He told the BBC that his biggest challenges were finding suitable weather and protecting the balloons.

Running short of helium for the balloons, Morgan and his team traveled to an area just north of Johannesburg for a final attempt.

Morgan said his emotions ran from exhilarated to terrified as the chair rose into the sky. As he climbed through the inversion layer in the atmosphere, where the temperature increases, he started climbing very quickly and needed to begin cutting balloons free from the chair to slow down.

Morgan said the flight was "magical" and "unbelievably cool". The owner of an adventure company in England, he said he would like to establish a helium balloon race in Africa. Though, he said, "we will have to avoid areas with lots of spiky bushes."

(Image from YouTube Video posted by user Cute Girl)

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