Some urban legends turn out to be true. Ever hear the one about the guy who tied helium balloons to his lawn chair and floated to an altitude of 16,000 feet? If you’re like me, you thought: “Yeah, right.”

But it’s true. 23 years ago today–July 2, 1983–Larry Walters attached 45 4-foot diameter helium-filled weather balloons to his lawnchair and quickly rose to a height of about 16,000 feet over Los Angeles (he wore a parachute). He managed to descended safely to terra firma by popping balloons with a pellet gun.

He was arrested on landing by the LAPD and was later fined $4000 for operating a “civil aircraft for which there is not currently in effect an airworthiness certificate” and operating an aircraft within an airport traffic area “without establishing and maintaining two-way communications with the control tower.” On appeal, his fine was reduced to $1500.

A reporter asked him why did he do it? His reply: “A man can’t just sit around.”

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