Lawn Chair Balloon Pilots Fly For The Future Of Iraq

In the spring of 2012, US citizen Kent Couch and Iraqi pilot Captain Fareed Abdul-Zahra al Saadi will launch a cluster balloon craft to raise awareness of the plight of Iraqi orphans as well as attempt to break multiple cluster balloon flying records. Cluster ballooning is an unique type of ballooning where the pilot is attached to a cluster of large helium-inflated party balloons.

Watch Kent Couch On MSNBC

You will be able to see Kent Couch on MSNBC talking about his upcoming trip where he plans to set a new world record for his flight scheduled for March 2012. The show will air on Sunday, December 18th, 2011 at 8PM EST.

 

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Balloon Launch Saturday July 24th, 2010!

Volunteer balloons team starts at 5:00am

• • Target launch time is 7:30am
• • Saturday July 24th, 2010
• • Shell Stop & Go on 27th & Hwy 20

John Freis gets a lift from Kent Couch

John was inspired by Kent's 2008 flight to Cambridge, Idaho and knew right then... "I have to do this!" Fast forward to October 10th, 2009 and John does exactly that. With Kent Couch and a group of close friends, John flies over the Salton Sea and lands safely just East of the Chocolate Mountains in Southern California. See for yourself in John's flight video...

Kent Lands Safely in Cambridge, Idaho

"I’m not stopping till I get out of state," Kent said as he prepared for launch on Saturday, July 5th, 2008. Kent met his goal at 4:12pm, when he landed safely in Cambridge, Idaho, and was soon met by the friendly townspeople, his ground crew, and the media. Couch covered about 235 miles a little over nine hours. Kent had a great time and made no of giving up his passion for cluster ballooning.

Kent Scheduled to Launch Saturday, July 5th,  2008!

With the help of SPOT (Satellite Personal Tracker) and Google Maps, we will be broadcasting Kent's position. So if you're local, come on down to the Stop & Go in Bend, OR. If you aren't able to see Kent in person, watch the live launch and track his flight online.

Kent Appears on Good Morning America with Diane Sawyer

Kent and Susan Couch traveled to New York City on May 30th to be interviewed for the second time by Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America. Kent shared the excitement of recovering his lost cluster balloon chair and electronic equipment. Most notably, clips from the much anticipated in-flight footage were shown. Kent discussed his plans for his next cluster balloon flight, scheduled for July 5th, 2008. Susan said, "You can't let a good man stay down."

Kent Announces His Next Cluster Balloon Flight

This morning, Kent announced on a Portland radio station that "Mission Control" a.k.a Susan Couch (Kent's lovely wife) has provided flight approval for Kent's next cluster balloon flight. He is currently scheduled to fly again on Saturday, July 5th, 2008. Kent is anxious to test some new ideas and techniques he believes will take him farther than he has ever been before. Stay tuned for the latest information on the upcoming cluster balloon flight.

Kent's Chair is Found - Reward Claimed

After almost a year, Kent Couch's cluster balloon chair and electronic equipment were discovered in Eastern Oregon, just outside of Baker City. A ranching couple stumbled upon the chair while checking their property's fence line. Kent traveled to Baker City to recover the cluster balloon chair and present the $500 reward. The chair and equipment are in excellent condition and the in-flight footage is currently being recovered. Read more about the amazing discovery.

Kent Appears on Jay Leno!

Kent Couch appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno to gab about his recent cluster balloon flight. Kent wasn't shy, sharing some of the most intimate details of his journey. The highlight of the show was when Jay experienced cluster ballooning in a tethered custom cluster balloon outside his studio. Jay looked a little leery as he left the ground to hoots and cheers from the crowd below. After all, cluster ballooning isn't for the faint of heart.

Kent Couch takes 193 Mile Cluster Balloons Flight from Bend, OR

Kent Couch fulfilled his childhood dream of flying by cluster balloon Saturday, July 7, 2007. For Kent, the intrigue of flying by balloons never faded with adulthood. While watching a show on the Discovery Channel years ago about Larry Walter's lawn chair helium balloon ride, Kent became moved. Armed with his insatiable curiosity, Kent Couch began preparing to fly by cluster balloon. Read more about how Kent planned his flight.