U.K. Man Flies Lawn Chair Balloon To Over 8,000 Feet In South Africa | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-06.02.25

Airborne-NextGen-06.03.25

AirborneUnlimited-06.04.25

Airborne-AffordableFlyers-06.05.25

AirborneUnlimited-06.06.25

Mon, Oct 30, 2017

U.K. Man Flies Lawn Chair Balloon To Over 8,000 Feet In South Africa

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)

FMI: Original Story

Advertisement

More News

Citation Operators Get Another Flight Data Connection for QA

LinxUs System Adds Capabilities for Data-Driven Operators Textron Aviation announced another option for operators processing their post-flight data, adding interoperability with GE>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (06.01.25)

Aero Linx: The de Havilland Moth Club Ltd The de Havilland Moth Club evolved from a belief that an association of owners and operators of Moth aeroplanes should be formed to create>[...]

NTSB Final Report: Bellanca 8GCBC

(Pilot) Inadvertently Applied Excessive Braking Action, And The Airplane Nosed Over Analysis: The pilot reported that, while landing at a remote, rough and uneven airstrip in a tai>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (06.01.25)

“MCADT is committed to rapidly integrating armed first-person view drones into the FMF, enhancing small-unit lethality and providing organic capabilities that warfighters cur>[...]

Classic Aero-TV: High-Speed Match-up - Venom and GE Rebirth A Legend

From 2017 (YouTube Edition): Major Engine Supplier Joins Forces With Small Aircraft Manufacturer… GE recently made an agreement with Venom Aircraft to supply engines for the>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC