From April 1st, 2007: Celebrity Event To Raise Scholarship Funds On 25th Anniversary of Historic Flight

ANN’s April 1 “April Fools” Special Edition Classic

ANN is proud to announce its participation in the inaugural Larry Walters Memorial Extreme Celebrity Chair Lift. The celebrity event is scheduled for July 2, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the historic flight of Lawrence Richard Walters, aka "Lawnchair Larry", or the Lawn Chair Pilot. 

Larry took his legendary flight on July 2, 1982 in a homemade aircraft, dubbed Inspiration I, that he had fashioned out of a patio chair and 45 helium-filled weather balloons. He rose to an altitude of 16,000 feet (3 miles) and floated from his point of origin in San Pedro, California into controlled airspace near Long Beach airport.

Even though the account of his flight was widely reported in newspapers, the strange-but-true feat is still incorrectly noted as an urban legend.

ANN publisher Jim Campbell has long supported scholarship programs -- and extreme flight events -- but explained ANN's sponsorship of this event is different.

"Aero-News is proud to sponsor the 1st Annual Lawnchair Larry Airlift, benefitting need-based applicants for ANN's 'Take Flight' scholarship. I feel a sense of duty to our youth and our future," Campbell said. "Larry's unquestionable desire to take flight, despite the obvious risk, was an inspiration. As pilots, it's something we all have inside us."

Campbell also lamented the unintended consequences of today's highly regulated flight.

"Flying is no longer on the radar of today's youth because it is viewed as too tame. Extreme sports is where the action is, and lawn chair flying is a great way to get kids involved in aviation. Putting Hollywood's finest at risk is just an added bonus!"

As Campbell mentioned, select Los Angeles area celebrities will be invited to participate in the airlift utilizing commemorative lawn chairs constructed with aerospace-grade materials. The custom-built replicas are professionally hand-rigged with certified weather balloons developed by an unknown LTA company.

Tax-deductible entry fees will be awarded to worthy scholarship applicants based on need. ANN encourages readers to sponsor a lawn chair or donate directly to the ANN scholarship via PayPal.

Your support can make a difference. Do it for the kids!

FMI: www.sendcelebritiesaloft.org