Walters had always dreamed of flying. He was unable to become a pilot in the United States Air Force because he could not see well enough. Walters had first thought of using weather balloons to fly at age 13. He got the idea when he saw the balloons hanging from the ceiling of a military surplus store. Twenty years later he decided to try it. He planned to attach a few large balloons filled with helium to his lawnchair and then float above his backyard. He planned to stay about 30 feet up in the air for several hours. He had a pellet gun to break some balloons and move back to the ground softly.