Search
The Rare & Early Newspapers Hobby
Receive the Newsletter
Buy Historic Newspapers
Who’s Who in Newspapers? Larry Walters edition (1982)…
September 4, 2026 by GuyHeilenman · Leave a Comment
If you’re a fan of quirky American folklore, you might recognize the name “Lawn Chair Larry.” Yet few realize the sheer audacity – and immediate, nationwide intrigue that surrounded the moment 33-year-old Larry Walters actually took off into the Southern California sky.
On July 2, 1982, Walters tied 42 helium-filled weather balloons to an ordinary aluminum lawn chair in the backyard of his girlfriend, Carol Van Deusen, in San Pedro. Armed with a pellet gun, a CB radio, a camera, and a parachute, his plan was simple: float lazily across San Pedro toward the Mojave Desert. Instead, when his tether line unexpectedly snapped, Walters shot skyward like a rocket, losing his glasses in the process and soaring to an astonishing 16,000 feet! Freezing in the high-altitude air, he startled commercial airliner pilots who radioed in shock to report a man sitting in a lawn chair in controlled airspace. To descend, Walters systematically popped several balloons with his pellet gun, eventually landing tangled in power lines in a Long Beach neighborhood – unharmed, but briefly causing a local blackout.
His story came to light quite by accident during a search through our archives for something completely unrelated. Our gaze was immediately drawn to the front page of the Los Angeles Times from July 3, 1982, which featured a remarkable photograph of a man taking flight from the comfort of a lawn chair.
If you are fascinated by eccentric dreamers who take “seat-of-the-pants” ambition to literal new heights, spending a little time reading contemporary accounts of Larry Walters’ flight is pure joy. It serves as an amusing, incredible reminder of human ingenuity, boundless determination, and the unpredictable nature of backyard aviation.
Below is a photo from the front page of the Los Angeles Times our friend was seeking, complete with the bold headlines “Seat-of-the-Pants Pilot Goes Aloft in Lawn Chair” and the iconic snapshot showing Walters airborne over San Pedro.
Inspiration Comes in All Shapes, Sizes & Stories…
June 21, 2024 by LauraH · Leave a Comment
Years ago (36 to be exact), my husband shared with me one of his favorite books of all time: Through Gates of Splendor, by Elizabeth Elliot. For those not familiar with this true story, Elizabeth’s husband and 4 other missionaries were taken and killed by the Auca tribe in Ecuador. Jump forward several decades to yesterday when our newest employee, who is currently enrolled in a missionary aviation, excitedly searched through the archives to find issues regarding this horrible event. To his elation he found several newspapers with real-time (contemporary) coverage. I was delighted to see the love of something which had captured my husband’s fascination as a young man still have the power to inspire a younger generation. This is one of the most satisfying aspects of newspaper collecting; no matter where your passions lie, there’s likely a newspaper with a report, ad, or headline which will relate to it.
The Traveler… first female aviator killed… turn-about is fair play…
July 2, 2012 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today I traveled to Carlisle, Pennsylvania by way of the Valley Sentinel dated July 2, 1912 where I found the report of the first female aviator killed. Miss Margaret Quimby and her manager fell 1,000 feet to their deaths as they were ejected from their seats when the monoplane that Miss Quimby was flying was upset by gusty winds. View the link above for additional details.
The front page of this issue also has an article about a man who had just been before a magistrate on charges of wife beating, “…was taken from a policeman by thirty-five masked men, dressed in women’s clothes, and was dragged to the ball park, where he was partly stripped of his clothing, tied to a post and a ‘rubber snake’ whip was plied to the bare flesh of Bowman until his cries for mercy could be heard for blocks…” He was taken home and warned to never to it again. I guess this was a case of turn-about is fair play… Nice to find such polar opposite woman’s interest coverage (women in flight vs. battered women within the home) within a single issue.
~The Traveler
The Traveler… permission to buzz the dome… if things could be redone…
June 20, 2011 by The Traveler · Leave a Comment
Today’s travels found the front page of The Christian Science Monitor dated June 20, 1911 with a nice variety of articles. Harry Atwood was resuming his across the country flight in his Burgess-Wright biplane, carrying different passengers on each leg of the journey. While in Concord, New Hampshire, 
“Atwood glided down toward the dome of the New Hampshire state capitol and circled three times about the capitol building.” I wonder if he had permission to buzz the dome? There are additional articles pertaining to the raising of the U.S.S. Maine which had been sunk in Cuba and also of the celebration of President Taft’s silver wedding anniversary.
I found within the issue an article “See Philippines Passing As Naval Base for U.S.” The article identifies which state-side naval bases would remain open and which would be considered for closing. They also referenced Pearl Harbor calling it the “Gibraltar of the Pacific”. It further mentions it would be the base of operations for the Pacific… “no foreign power would be able to land a large force of men in the Philippines.” Interesting to see how this statement played itself out over time.
~The Traveler