Larry loves flying but hate airports. So why not fly in a lawn chair from his garden? Amazing true story which students of all ages will enjoy. Could be used to discuss the braveness/craziness of extreme exploration. Features on website for young English language learners: http://younglearners.eslreading.org/strange/strange/flyingchair.html

1. ESL Young Learners http://younglearners.eslreading.org
Larry’s Flying Lawn Chair
California man has flight seat - but no plane!
Larry Walters loves flying - but hates airports.
Larry holds up a small air rifle.
‘Why can’t I fly direct from my house?’ he asks
‘I’ll use this to pop the balloons,’ he says.
his friends. ‘That’ll bring the chair down into the garden.’
‘Because you don’t have a plane,’ they say.
‘Have you ever flown a balloon before?’
Nor does Larry’s small suburban garden
‘No,’ Larry admits.
Nor has he had any
have a runway. S E Q U O I
pilot’s training. ‘But I’ve driven a truck.’
But Larry has a plan. A C
L Larry is only taking hand luggage on this
U B
flight. He has his lunch, a parachute, a CB radio
Preparing for takeoff & a camera. The CB radio is to alert other
aircraft.
One day he goes to a local camping shop. He
‘Okay,’ Larry tells his friends. ‘Cut the
buys 45 weather balloons and eight tanks of rope!’
helium.
To everyone’s surprise the chair flies up
When he gets home he ties the balloons to into the sky. It climbs 20 metres. Then 50 metres.
a large garden chair.
Then he ties the garden Then 200 metres.
chair to his truck.
Still it keeps rising.
With everything secure, he inflates the
Larry’s friends watch in amazement as he
balloons with the helium. disappears into the clouds.
Larry goes back into the house. He makes
a packed lunch. Then he phones two friends. Flying Chair
‘Come over to my house,’ he says. ‘I want
you to help me launch my test flight.’ Soon the chair is three miles above the
Californian coast. Reports begin coming in to
Pilot's Training? air traffic control.
‘There’s a flying chair up here! And the
Larry’s friends arrive. They all go out into the guy sitting in it has a gun!’
garden.
Meanwhile Larry is having a wonderful
It’s a sunny and the sky is clear. time. But it’s now very cold in the high altitude.
‘Perfect conditions for a test flight,’ Larry It’s time to come down.
tells his friends.
Larry begins shooting the balloons.
The friends look at Larry’s ‘air-chair’.
Slowly the chair descends. But Larry can’t
‘Are you sure this will work?’ one friend control the descent. As it comes down, the
asks. flying lawn-chair touches power cables.
‘Why not?' says Larry. ‘What could go
This causes a power cut in Los Angeles.
wrong?’
Why?
Larry’s Plan
Eventually Larry lands safely.
‘'I’ll float up to around to around twenty
When Larry lands the police are waiting.
metres,’ Larry tells his friends. ‘Then I can take A news reporter asks; 'Why did you do it?'
some photos.’
‘How will you come down?’ "A man can't just sit around!" says Larry.