Man flies 193 miles in a chair

LAST weekend, Kent Couch settled down in his chair in Bend, Oregon, with some snacks — and a parachute.

Attached to his garden chair were 105 large helium balloons. Destination: Idaho.

With instruments to measure his altitude and speed, a global positioning system device in his pocket, and about four plastic bags holding five gallons of water each to act as ballast — he could turn a spigot, release water and rise — Couch headed into the Oregon sky.