Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
THE COLORFUL SKIES — Who doesn't like the movie "Up"? I mean, it's got heart for days, makes everyone cry — admit it, you cried — and reminds all of us that at one point when we were kids we had the thought of tying hundreds of balloons together and floating off into the sky.
While most of us have left that fantasy in our childhood —or to Mr. Fredrickson — one man decided he was tired of dreaming about it and wanted to make it a reality.
Meet Jonathan Trappe, a mild-mannered employee at an IT consultancy by day and a pilot of balloon-powered aircraft by night. Well, actually not night, but in his free time.
This 5-minute story from Great Big Story is equal parts enthralling and somewhat terrifying. Trappe fills up hundreds of balloons with helium and then sets off to the sky in gondolas that range from a desk chair to a house.
It's incredible to watch Trappe sail through the sky strapped to a recliner more than 20,000 feet in the air with nothing keeping him airborne except balloons. I didn't realize I had a fear of heights, but seeing him float around in a canoe gave me some anxiety. As I watched him straight-up pop one of the balloons, I think I blacked out for a moment.
I admire Trappe and his drive to make childhood fantasies a reality, and I am more than happy to do so with both feet firmly on the ground.
Have You Seen This?
