each time it made things a little better, just learning from the previous flight. i started using a pilot s parachute, which is nice and comfortable. we had more balloons, more ballast, we got more security and more safety. better communication between the ground crew. july 5th, 2008. kent couch attempts to fly from bend, oregon, to boise, idaho, and break his record of 193 miles traveled in a cluster balloon. on launch day, we had to be up at 3:30 in the morning. it s usually about 50 to 70 volunteers that make this thing work. we d normally have four or six helium stations. each station has four people on it with a different role. it takes a minute or two to blow up one balloon. we don t 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
a gas station owner lives out his childhood fantasy, floating nearly 18,000 feet above the earth tethered to dozens of brightly colored balloons. some of my best memories are as a child. you see a little cloud. i wish i could get on that cloud and float. it s a peaceful experience. this is not just a flight of fancy for kent couch. in 2008, he tries to break his own record for number of miles traveled in what s called a cluster balloon. i call cluster ballooning simply a way to get up in the air with a group of balloons. some people would use weather balloons. i ve never done that. party balloons seem real dependable.
little better just learning from the previous flight. i started using a pilot s parachute, which is nice and comfortable. we had more balloons, more ballast, we got more security and safety. better communication between the ground crew. july 5, 2008. kent couch attempts to fly from bend, oregon, to boise, idaho, and break his record of 193 miles traveled in a cluster balloon. on launch day, we had to be up at 3:30 in the morning. it s usually about 50 to 70 volunteers that make this thing work. we d normally have four or six helium stations. each station has four people on it with a different role. it takes a minute or two to blow up one balloon. we don t 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,
just learning from the previous flight. i started using a pilot s parachute, which is nice and comfortable. we got more security and safety. better communication between the ground crew. july 5, 2008. kent couch attempts to fly from bend, oregon, to boise, idaho, and break his record of 193 miles traveled in a cluster balloon. on launch day, we had to be up at 3:30 in the morning. it s usually about 50 to 70 volunteers that make this thing work. we d normally have four or six helium stations. each station had four people on it. with a different role. probably takes a minute or two to blow up one balloon. 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 15 or 20. once everything checks out,
each time it made things a little better. just learning from the previous flight. i started using a pilot s parachute, which is nice and comfortable. we got more security and safety. better communication between the ground crew. july 5, 2008. kent couch attempts to fly from bend, oregon, to boise, idaho, and break his record of 193 miles traveled in a cluster balloon. on launch day, we had to be up at 3:30 in the morning. it s usually about 50 to 70 volunteers that make this thing work. we d normally have four or six helium stations. each station had four people on it. it takes a minute or two to blow up one balloon. 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 15 or 20.