What's Chinese for...Oh Crap!

Summary

Podcast Summary: Armstrong & Getty On Demand – "What's Chinese for...Oh Crap!"

Release Date: May 29, 2025

In the episode titled "What's Chinese for...Oh Crap!" from the Armstrong & Getty On Demand podcast, hosts Armstrong and Getty delve into extraordinary tales of aviation mishaps and the human spirit's resilience. Skipping the numerous advertisements that punctuate the episode, the focus remains on two remarkable stories: a paraglider's unintended ascent in China and the infamous adventure of Lawn Chair Larry.

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1. The Unplanned Ascent: Paragliding in China

At 02:34, the conversation kicks off with the intriguing question, "What's Chinese for oh crap?" hinting at the unforeseen challenges the hosts are about to discuss. They recount the astonishing story of a paraglider in China who nearly matched the world record by soaring to an altitude of 28,000 feet.

• 02:45 – Unknown Host: "Whatever it is, I'm sure this paraglider said it as he almost equaled the world record for how high you go in the sky paragliding or without oxygen or not."

The paraglider's ordeal began innocently with a routine equipment inspection. However, an unexpected updraft thrust him five miles into the clouds, thrusting him into a realm where commercial airlines typically operate.

• 03:10 – Unknown Host: "But by accident, he was inspecting his gear on the ground when an updraft took him on an uncontrollable ascent five miles into the clouds."

Despite the terrifying ascent, the paraglider experienced moments of fearlessness and adaptability. His most harrowing moment came when his parachute began to "plunge headfirst toward the earth" (04:32), testing his courage and survival instincts.

• 04:32 – Armstrong: "That's astonishing."

Fortunately, he managed to regain control after navigating through the cloud system and safely land, showcasing remarkable resilience in the face of potential disaster.

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2. Lawn Chair Larry: A Tale of Dreams and Tragedy

Transitioning from paragliding to a more unconventional airborne adventure, Armstrong and Getty explore the legendary story of Larry Walters, popularly known as Lawn Chair Larry.

• 05:08 – Unknown Host: "He was conducting ground parachute practices... the wind suddenly picked up and lifted me into the air."

Larry's experiment began with his ambitious plan to attach 42 helium balloons to a lawn chair, aiming to capture aerial photographs of his neighborhood. Equipped with essentials like sandwiches, a pellet gun, and a camera, Larry's attempt quickly spiraled out of control when the harness failed prematurely.

• 06:37 – Armstrong: "But Sando's and a variety of beverages. That's weird."

As Larry ascended to 16,000 feet within moments, he encountered the exhilarating yet perilous experience of unintended flight. Despite hitting a terrifying low point when his pellet gun accidentally dropped overboard (07:21), he successfully navigated back to Earth after 45 minutes, albeit with unforeseen consequences.

• 09:24 – Unknown Host: "He ends up tumbling a few feet and being fine."

However, the aftermath of Larry's adventure was bittersweet. Initially fined for violating federal aviation laws, his story garnered widespread attention, leading to brief fame as a motivational speaker. Despite the initial excitement, Larry's fortunes dwindled over the years, culminating in his tragic suicide at the age of 44 (12:03).

• 12:14 – Unknown Host: "What a life."

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3. Reflections and Comparisons

Throughout the episode, Armstrong and Getty draw parallels between the paraglider's accidental flight and Lawn Chair Larry's deliberate yet ill-fated attempt to conquer the skies. They reflect on the thin line between adventure and recklessness, highlighting the psychological and emotional toll such experiences can exact on individuals.

• 15:49 – Armstrong: "I think there's a lesson there."
• 16:15 – Armstrong: "You give that guy global fame... there is definitely a lesson there."

The hosts contemplate the desire for fame and the personal aspirations that drive individuals to undertake extreme actions, often leading to unforeseen and tragic outcomes.

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4. Conclusion: Lessons Learned

In wrapping up the episode, Armstrong and Getty emphasize the unpredictable nature of human endeavors and the importance of understanding one's limits. They caution against the allure of instant fame and the potential consequences of chasing lofty dreams without adequate preparation or consideration of risks.

• 17:39 – Unknown Host: "He never made much money in that line of work... He was briefly featured in a Timex watch ad in the early 90s."

The stories shared serve as poignant reminders of the fine balance between ambition and safety, encouraging listeners to pursue their passions responsibly.

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Notable Quotes:

• 04:32 – Armstrong: "That's astonishing."
• 09:24 – Unknown Host: "He ends up tumbling a few feet and being fine."
• 12:14 – Unknown Host: "What a life."
• 15:49 – Armstrong: "I think there's a lesson there."

---

This episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand masterfully intertwines thrilling narratives with thoughtful analysis, providing listeners with both entertainment and introspection on human ambition and its repercussions.

Transcript

[Unknown Host]

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What's Chinese for oh crap? It's one more thing.

[Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty. One more thing.

[Unknown Host]

Whatever it is, I'm sure this paraglider said it as he almost equaled the world record for how high you go in the sky paragliding or without oxygen or not. Motorized plane or whatever. Anyway, he was a paraglider who almost equaled the world record at 28,000ft. Geez.

[Armstrong]

Holy cow.

[Unknown Host]

Really? Yeah, that's really really high. But by accident, he was inspecting his gear on the ground when an updraft took him on an uncontrollable ascent five miles into the clouds.

[Armstrong]

That's astonishing.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, he could. Well, I'll just read it as it says it here. He was conducting a routine test of his paragliding equipment there in China when the draft hit him on the ground. I had just bought a second hand paragliding harness and wanted to test it. So I was conducting ground parachute practices. The wind suddenly picked up and lifted me into the air. I tried to land as soon as possible, but I failed. Explaining that he got carried even higher by a wind, wind from a cloud system that just happened to come through. And he ended up more than five miles above the ground, which is where like commercial airlines fly.

[Armstrong]

Given the reality of life on Earth or probably any other planet, which is that things fall downward like five zillion to one. This guy was the one. He got lifted upward and was thinking, ah.

[Unknown Host]

He said the scariest moment was when his parachute plunged headfirst toward the earth. Well, that was the scariest moment.

[Armstrong]

You say that would be a very scary moment. Yes.

[Unknown Host]

But he managed to write himself before emerging from the cloud system, getting his bearings, and then landed the thing. I have a feeling you know where this is leading, as we have talked about this many times throughout our radio career. But I couldn't help but revisit Lawn Chair Larry, one of our favorite stories and one of the most famous things that's ever happened. There have been movies made about it. He was on David Letterman. He's the guy that in I did.

[Armstrong]

That, I'd be poopy pants. Paul.

[Unknown Host]

Soiled himself. Sam Larry Walters in 1982, attached 42 helium balloons to a regular lawn chair. He went to an army surplus store and bought a bunch of big thick balloons, filled them with helium, attach them to the lawn chair he purchased at Sears. And similar to this paraglider guy in China, not intending to at that moment, take off this, the strap broke and he went up into the sky very, very quickly. Like within moments, he was at 16,000ft, which is going to pass out, just thinking, which is three miles up. He, he was planning to go up into the air. Obviously he didn't think he would go that high. He strapped himself into the chair in the backyard of his home in San Pedro, California. He took a pellet gun, a CB radio, sandwiches, two liters of Coca Cola, a six pack of beer and a camera.

[Armstrong]

Wow.

[Unknown Host]

Which is.

[Armstrong]

He wasn't sure.

[Unknown Host]

I don't Know, if I'm in the.

[Armstrong]

Mood to drink tonight, I'll bring some beer, but some soft drinks, too.

[Unknown Host]

Something to wash down my sandwiches. His plan was to just go kind of high and get some pictures of the neighborhood and that sort of thing.

[Armstrong]

But Sando's and a variety of beverages. That's weird.

[Unknown Host]

When the cord that tied his lawn chair to his Jeep broke prematurely, his lawn chair shot straight up almost immediately. He was at 16,000ft, three miles in the air. He was spotted by two commercial airliners. He slowly drifted over Long Beach. The entire flight lasted about 45 minutes before he started to. Oh, this is how it happened. After 45 minutes in the sky, he came up with the idea. He had his pellet gun with him. So he shot several balloons with the pellet gun, taking care not to unbalance the load so he would tip out good points. But then he. But then he accidentally dropped his pellet gun over the side.

[Armstrong]

Oh, dang it.

[Unknown Host]

Son of a gun. That was working so good. Despite taking a camera, he did not take any photos. Yeah, he's probably distracted by the impending doom. He decided.

[Armstrong]

I tell you what, honestly, I got a fear of falling or heights or whatever it is, to be able to unclamp my arms from the chair. From the arms of the. I'm sorry. Unclamp my hands from the arms of the chair to even grasp the gun to shoot out. I mean, because he probably had to cock it, so he had to take both hands off that. That's an amazing act to me right there.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. I don't have a sphere of heights. It would be damn scary, obviously. But I wonder. 45 minutes, that's a long time. You might acclimate after a certain amount of time. Like, okay, here we are. What am I going to do?

[Armstrong]

You tentatively take one hand off, then the other, and you're like, well, I'm just floating here, so. Right. Yeah.

[Unknown Host]

Before I get back to the story, the, The. The scariest thing, like, in that line that I ever did, do you remember how high I climbed on that ladder on the. On the fire truck? Remember? They put that ladder straight up in the air, not up against anything. If it had been up against a building or something, it had been one thing, but it was just up in the air, and I climbed to the top of it. It was really, really high. That was pretty. That one was. It was, like, hard to make my hands move from rung to rung when I got up high.

[Armstrong]

Yeah, I'd. I'd have rather been shot if they'd Forced me at gunpoint. I'd have said shoot me.

[Unknown Host]

So back to lawn chair Larry in his Sears lawn chair three miles in the air. So he drops his pellet gun despite having taken. Okay. He descended slowly until the balloons got caught up in some power lines. The power line broke causing a 20 minute electricity blackout in the town there and in still in California. And then he landed unharmed which is just miraculous. I mean between the you're in a lawn chair with helium balloons just plummeting to your death, then getting caught up in the electric lines which obviously all kinds of bad things could have happened.

[Armstrong]

Right.

[Unknown Host]

He ends up tumbling a few feet and being fine.

[Armstrong]

You'd think I outran a lion and now essentially I'm going to. Well, it's just. No, no, you overcame all the odds and then there you are 25ft in the air and you're going to die. That. No, that's too much irony.

[Unknown Host]

The aftermath is kind of interesting also. Walters was immediately arrested by waiting members of the Long Beach Police Department, which is where he landed. He. We know one person was quoted at the time of saying we know he broke some part of the Federal Aviation Act. As soon as we decide which part it is, some type of charge will be filed. If he had a pilot's license we'd suspend that, but he doesn't. He was initially fined lawn chair pilots license. He was initially fined $4,000 for violations under the FAA operating aircraft with within an airport area or something like that. He appealed in. The fine was reduced to 1500 dollars charge of operating a civil aircraft which there's not currently in effect. An airworthiness certificate was dropped.

[Armstrong]

Yeah, there's no serious 60 day guarantee certainly.

[Unknown Host]

I wonder if he returned the lawn chair just after landing. Walter spoke to the press saying it was something I had to do. I had this dream for 20 years and. And if I hadn't done it, I think I would have ended up in the funny farm. So he just, he'd. All his life he thought I want to attach helium balloons to a lawn chair and see how I can go. If I hadn't done that, I would regret it the rest of my life. 10 days. Oh, he was awarded a special Darwin Awards survival award that year, which we used to do the Darwin Awards every year. We should bring that back. They're always good. Ten years after the flight he appeared on Late night with David Letterman. He was briefly in demand as a motivational speaker and quit his job as a truck driver.

[Armstrong]

Wow. What is he?

[Unknown Host]

Motivational speaker.

[Armstrong]

If you believe you can tie the balloons of your aspirations to the lawn chair of your reality.

[Unknown Host]

He never made much money in that line of work, even though he quit his job. He was briefly featured in a Timex watch ad in the early 90s. The lawn chair used in the flight was reportedly giving to an admiring boy, but he regrets doing it because the Smithsonian wanted it. He gave away the lawn chair. Oh my God. That is funny. He ended up doing volunteer work for the United States Forest Service later in life. Oh, then he broke up with his girlfriend of 15 years and could only find sporadic security guard work.

[Armstrong]

Wow.

[Unknown Host]

Oh, and then a very unhappy ending that I won't mention because it'll bring us down. He. He. At age 44, he committed suicide.

[Armstrong]

Wow.

[Unknown Host]

What a life.

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[Armstrong]

Yeah, wow, that, it did bring me down, but it, I'm glad you threw that in. It's. I think there's a lesson there.

[Unknown Host]

Well, the kind of guy that comes up with the idea, does it when he's interviewed, immediately upon landing, says, I always wanted to do it. If I hadn't not have gone crazy. That's just important to me. That's kind of odd.

[Armstrong]

Then you give that guy global fame even, you know, back in the day, and then the expectations he develops based on that very brief global fame, it's probably, you know, there is definitely a lesson there.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah. And then he probably thought for a while when he got the motivational speaker gig that he was, you know, kind of maybe on a track for little better life than he had before. Turned out there's not much motivating about. I bought Helium balloons at a surplus store and attached them to my Sears lawn chair and I put too many on there. So I shot really high in the air and then miraculously, through luck, I floated to the ground. The end. So. And you can too. I don't know what his final closing statement was, but I wonder what the.

[Armstrong]

Nature of his speech was. Because they say motivational speakers, so we're obviously taking that literally. But you know, I've been to that sort of event, those chautauquas or you know, just speaker marathons or whatever. And some people are just there because they're. It's funny.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah.

[Armstrong]

And amazing. And you know, if, if you could help him write it or write it for him with jokes and stuff like that, that would be, you know, like the, the, the jelly in the peanut butter and jelly sandwich of your speakers bureau.

[Unknown Host]

Sure, yeah, Yeah, I get that. That'd be entertaining. But anyway, holy crap, you couldn't, you couldn't replicate that. I would think if you did it exactly the same way a thousand times, you'd get that one successful result.

[Armstrong]

I wonder.

[Unknown Host]

Oh my God.

[Armstrong]

Yeah. Although I'll tell you what, for people like me with my phobia, this entire conversation, a lot of it was like somebody who's got a arachnophobia. I mean like, not, I don't like spiders, but seeing one, you have an overwhelming animal fear wash over you that you can't control. Like a 10 minute conversation about being covered with spiders. Tough to take.

[Unknown Host]

The one thing it doesn't mention. I wish it did, since his girlfriend was there in the backyard when the cable broke and he shot immediately three miles straight up. She probably couldn't even see him right. I wonder what she was thinking at that point.

[Armstrong]

Well, she see the balloons for a while.

[Unknown Host]

Yeah, I suppose. But three miles is way up there. She had to be thinking. I don't know what she was thinking.

[Armstrong]

My boyfriend's about to be dead. That's what she was thinking.

[Unknown Host]

I didn't think that would happen. Or something along those lines.

[Armstrong]

What a dumbass.

[Unknown Host]

She was thinking, I guess I need another boyfriend. You know, to his credit at least he was legit. Remember balloon boy? Yeah. That was a hoax. So this guy actually, actually did it.

[Armstrong]

So well, they were looking for that sort of fame. True fame whores. Worst sort of people. Well, there's murderers. Those are bad too.

[Unknown Host]

Well, I guess that's it.

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