The 45-minute successful flight of Larry Walters on July 2, 1982, was in a homemade airship made of an ordinary patio chair and 45 helium-filled weather balloons.
The aircraft rose to an altitude of over 15,000 feet (4,600 m) and floated from the point of takeoff in San Pedro, California, into and violating controlled airspace near Los Angeles International Airport.
During the landing, the aircraft became entangled in power lines, but Walters was able to safely climb down.
The flight attracted worldwide media attention and inspired a later movie and imitators.