Join us this Tuesday, August 18th, for the most exciting, entertaining and educational programs we have ever hosted for pizza night.  You think that might be a bit of an exaggeration?  Read on.

Our guest will be Jonathon Trappe, one of a very small handful of FAA licensed cluster balloonists.   His feats are amazing.  He comes to us fresh off a tour of 20 cities promoting the Disney film “UP”.  During that tour he actually got into a LazyBoy chair under a cluster of toy balloons and launched off the aircraft carrier USS Midway anchored in San Diego harbor.

In June 2008, he sat down in his unmodified office chair, called Raleigh Departure, got his squawk code and launched from a field in Franklin County climbing initially to an altitude of 13,000 feet under a cluster of 55 balloons.  SITTING IN HIS OFFICE CHAIR!!!!

He is also a licensed aeronaut for both hot air and gas inflated balloons.  Most recently he departed Albuquerque New Mexico, climbed to 17,900 feet, and “flew” over Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska finally crossing the Missouri River into Iowa, a trip of 4 days and over a thousand miles – all while in a small wicker basket.

Join us, Jonathon Trappe, his flying LazyBoy, and his flying office chair, as he presents a session on the different forms of ballooning.  Gourmet pizza is served at 6:30, but if you come early, we will adjourn outside and help set up and launch Jonathon’’s one-man hot air balloon (with the fuel tank on his back) for a tethered lighter-than-air flight.  This is one meeting you will not soon forget.

This event is also listed on the the FAAST site at http://faasafety.gov — look for Event EA3926553.

August 18, 2009 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm