Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Imagine being the Delta or TWA pilot that, on July 2, 1982, spotted Larry Walters on his lawn chair, floating along at an altitude of 16,000 feet. Helium filled weather balloons held him aloft (42 or 45 depending on the account).
2. The flight had begun in his back yard. Our valiant aviation pioneer seated in a Sears lawn chair, lifted off when the cords anchoring it to the bumper of a jeep were severed. On release did the chair drift lazily up into the Southern California sky?
3. Apparently Mr. Walters knew that his bold adventure entailed risk. Which of the following precautions did he NOT take?
4. The TWA pilot who reported the presence of a man in a lawn chair at 16,000 feet indicated that the lawn chair pilot had a gun. For what purpose was the BB gun (or pellet gun in some accounts) intended?
5. Larry was in radio contact during the flight.
6. His audacity and courage amply demonstrated, but becoming numb with cold, Larry began his descent. Having dispatched too many balloons his descent became too rapid. What did he jettison in order to slow his descent?
7. Although ultimately uninjured, our now desperately plummeting hero was unable to avoid a crash that left him dangling five feet above the ground. From what was he hanging?
8. The New York times quoted Neal Savoy, an FAA regional safety inspector, as saying, " "We know he broke some part of the Federal Aviation Act, and as soon as we decide which part it is, some type of charge will be filed."
9. Which of the following occurred as a result of the flight?
10. Tragically, Larry Walters ultimately committed suicide in 1993, eleven years after his flight.
Source: Author
uglybird
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor
gtho4 before going online.
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