Introduction Cloudhoppers and cluster balloons are special types of small balloons, usually flown by a single person in a harness or seat suspended from the balloon. Cloudhoppers have been around for several decades, but are still fairly rare in the United States. More about Cloudhoppers . That's the idea behind cluster ballooning. The pilot wears a harness, to which a cluster of large, helium-filled balloons are attached.
Control is achieved by releasing ballast to ascend, or by bursting balloons to descend.
The most famous cluster balloon flight took place in 1982. Larry Walters, with no prior ballooning experience, attached 42 helium weather balloons to a lawnchair, intending to go up a few hundred feet, but instead soaring to 16,000. Surprisingly, Walters survived his flight. However, both before and since Walters' adventure, experienced balloonists have experimented with helium balloon clusters, some rising to even greater heights. More about Cluster Balloons.