Oregon man lands in Idaho after trip in lawn chair carried by balloons

BEND, Ore. — Gas station owner Kent Couch has realized his dream of flying a lawn chair rigged with more than 150 helium-filled party balloons across the Oregon high desert to Idaho.

An Oregonian newspaper reporter tracking the flight in a small plane said Couch landed safely shortly before 4 p.m. Pacific Time today about 60 miles north of Boise near the town of Cambridge.

The 48-year-old lifted off with the dawn from his gas station in the central Oregon city Bend and flew with the wind at about 20 mph.

Flight spokesman Mark Knowles was following Couch in a chase car on the ground, but was not immediately available.

This was the third try for Couch, who was inspired by the 1982 lawn chair balloon flight over Southern California by Larry Walters.