Larry Newman | |
|---|---|
 L to R: Maxie Anderson, Ben Abruzzo, & Newman of theDouble Eagle II | |
| Born | (1947-09-28)September 28, 1947 Los Angeles, California, US |
| Died | December 20, 2010(2010-12-20) (aged 63) Scottsdale, Arizona, US |
| Occupation(s) | Pilot, Founder of Electra Flyer Corporation andAmerican Aerolights |
| Known for | Flying the first balloon across the Atlantic, theDouble Eagle II Flying the first balloon across the Pacific, theDouble Eagle V |
Larry Newman (September 28, 1947 – December 20, 2010) was an American pilot, business man, and balloonist. He was part of the balloon crews that made the first Atlantic ocean crossing by balloon in theDouble Eagle II and the first Pacific ocean crossing by balloon in theDouble Eagle V.[1]
Newman won theCongressional Gold Medal awarded by theUnited States Congress for his flight in theDouble Eagle II. TheDouble Eagle II, piloted byBen Abruzzo,Maxie Anderson, and Larry Newman, became the firstballoon tocross theAtlantic Ocean when it landed 17 August 1978 inMiserey nearParis, 137 hours 6 minutes after leavingPresque Isle, Maine.[2] The flight was the first manned balloon crossing of the Atlantic non-stop.[3][2]
In November 1981, Newman flew theDouble Eagle V in the first successful manned balloon crossing of thePacific withBen Abruzzo, Ron Clark andRocky Aoki.[4] They launched fromNagashima, Japan on November 10, 1981, and landed inMendocino National Forest inCalifornia 84 hours and 31 minutes later, covering a record 5,768 miles (9,283 km).[5] The four-man crew included fellowAlbuquerque balloonistsBen Abruzzo & Ron Clark, and restaurateurRocky Aoki, who partially funded the flight. After crossing the Pacific thehelium-filled Double Eagle V, weighed down by ice and buffeted by a storm, crash-landed in northern California, ending the nearly 6,000-mile flight. No one was hurt.[6]
Newman helped popularizehang gliding with his company Electra Flyer Corporation, which produced thousands of hang gliders at its peak. He also foundedultralight aircraft manufacturerAmerican Aerolights in 1979.[7][8][9][10]
In 1985 Newman sold his business and became a pilot forAmerica West Airlines.
Newman attempted to circumnavigate the globe by balloon partnering with formercosmonautVladimir Dzhanibekov. Newman envisioned flying aNASA designedsky anchor balloon. This unique hourglass shaped design used a zero pressurehelium balloon forbuoyancy and asuperpressure balloon for variableballast. Manufactured byRaven Industries the double balloon system together measured 354 feet (108 m) tall. FromTillamook, Oregon on 8 September 1990, a proof of concept flight was made by Dzhanibekov, Newman, Tim Lachenmeier, and Don Moses. Moses replacedRichard Branson who was unable to make a weather window departure time. Flying 31 hours thru two nights and landing atOmak, Washington proved the sky anchor balloon worked as manufactured.[11][12][13] Dzhanibekov, Larry Newman, and Don Moses piloted theEarthwinds Hilton balloon which was primarily sponsored byBarron Hilton. In 1992 an attempt fromAkron, Ohio did not launch due to strong winds.[14] The next attempt was a planned pre-dawn launch but was delayed for several hours by difficulties inflating both balloons. Launching later than desired, on 13 January 1993 theEarthwinds liftoff fromReno Stead Airport flew for 30 minutes before crashing. After liftoff theEarthwinds balloon could not penetrate a strong inversion layer and tore the ballast balloon on a mountain peak. The three crewmen survived the crash without injuries. An additional flight on 31 December 1994 reached 29,000 feet (8,800 m) when the ballast balloon failed. These sky anchor balloon failures influenced other circumnavigation attempts to use aRoziere balloon system.[15][16]
Shortly afterEarthwinds, Newman divorced his wife Lynne. He leftAmerica West Airlines in 1997. Newman suffered multiple injuries in a skydiving accident when colliding with another parachutist on approach to the landing area. He broke multiple bones and nearly lost his eyesight.[12]
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