On Jul 10, 11:46 am, Jim Logajan wrote:
Dallas wrote:
On Tue, 10 Jul 2007 07:32:04 -0700, RL Anderson wrote:

http://www.komotv.com/news/local/8399237.html

Does someone trying something like this need a lighter-than-air category
free balloon class rating certificate to be legal?

If the whole contraption weighs less than 254 pounds empty (excluding his
parachute), then Part 103 applies and no certificate is needed either for
the pilot or the craft.

The 254 lb limit is for "powered" ultralight aircraft (i.e.
airplanes, rotorcraft, airships) that use some kind of motor for
forward propulsion.

Unpowered ultralight aircraft (gliders, ballons, etc) have to weight
under 155 lbs, and any fuel needed onboard to create lift (i.e.
propane for a burner) or ballast needed to control buoyancy is not
included in that 155 lbs.

Believe it or not, there have been a lot more people flying helium
balloon lawnchairs (cluster balloons) around than you hear about in
the media.

See http://www.clusterballoon.org