Balloon man needs another month to raise $20K following lawn chair flight

“I have half his money in a trust account.”

The case was adjourned until March 17.

Judge Bruce Fraser made it clear that he wouldn’t be willing to wait past that point.

“He’ll have to do it by that date. That’s part of the joint submission,” Fraser said.

Boria, 27, was in court Friday but was advised by his lawyer not to make any comments.

Fraser had agreed to accept a joint recommendation that Boria be fined $5,000. He also accepted a recommendation that Boria make a $20,000 donation to the charity of his choice.

On July 5, 2015, Boria tied the industrial-sized balloons to the lawn chair as part of his plan to parachute over the Calgary Stampede chuckwagon races, but high winds forced him to bail early.

He was arrested by police who had been monitoring him since he was spotted soaring above the grounds.

The Crown told court in December that Boria risked the lives of passengers on incoming and departing airline flights by taking his homemade aircraft up to 2,100 metres.

“In a scenario where an aircraft travelling at 300 km/h makes contact with an uncontrollable object weighing 150 to 200 pounds, the results would be catastrophic damage to the airframe, engine and-or control surfaces,” said prosecutor Matt Dalidowicz.

“Of greatest concern would be that the cockpit windshields may be compromised and one or both flight crew members become incapacitated,” he said.

“This scenario could result in the loss of the aircraft and the lives of those on board.”

During Boria’s 20 minutes in the air, 24 airplanes took off and landed in Calgary.

Boria said afterwards that he planned it so that only his own safety would be at risk. He called the flight the most exhilarating experience he could ever imagine.

— Follow @BillGraveland on Twitter

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Balloon man needs another month to raise $20K following lawn chair flight

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