Vehicle: Hovercraft
Hot Air Balloon-Aerostat Backpack   (+3)  [vote for, against]
Hot Air Balloon/Aerostat backpack (including BO, Balloon operator!)

A balloon operator is hired to follow you around via gps to provide a variety of services.

You are walking on the ground transmitting your gps through your "pack-puter" (a cheap touch screen phone mounted to a shoulder strap) for your BO to follow you above in the sky at the altitude of yoru choice.

The Pack puter syncs through your bluetooth headphones in your helmet for clean audio during flight as well as video chat option with your BO (balloon operator.) He's probably just up there reading a book when he's not busy flying!

There are two ways to mount to the HAB. Either you can tether up while he's grounded for an easy tether or do the way cooler more complicated sky hook out of dark knight.

Sky Hook:

If you're on the ground un-tethered ready for pick up release your sky hook, get yanked up a bit too clear the tree line and then soar away. Your backpack, service as a harness releases a small airbag/balloon with a blinking LED that has a large metal hook below the balloon connected to the central cable. A high tensile cable resistant to cutting hangs below the hook and the balloon. The cable is connected to a pulley system that gives you the ability to raise and lower yourself once you've hooked in and ascended.

Once the BO tethers your balloon hook to his HAB he can pull you up via the pulley (lame) or just lock you in and start flying away with you dangling below (hence the helmet, watch out for the birds:D).

Alternative Bungee cables:

With the ability to run on the ground and bungee back up (with varying results I imagine) you can have a world of fun! Maybe your last!

Wing suit:

If after your hanging cruise you're getting bored then he can wench you up the HAB and get you changed into a wingsuit (dont' worry he won't look! your BO is well trained) then you can be lowered down, unhooked and go for a high altitude glide!

Hiker Package:

For the lazy hiker who likes the nice parts of hiking but would like some assistance getting up that last 3,000 ft ascent to the peak, this would be perfect. The difficulty would lie in making sure the rope is clear of obstacles.

This could be achieved by finding a clear spot to send up the sky hook, wench up above the treeline and just sort of "walk up" with the help of the balloon.

The Lazy Hiker package would also include a giant double walled bubble like in Jackie Chan's Operation Condor. He could safely lower it down (lame) or you could wench up to the HAB, get you in the bubble suit safely or lower you down about 30 feet or so and bounce you down a mountain side (badass) to your potential death.

SPY PACKAGE: Aerostat Warship option

Included in your armored suit/backpack is a tuxedo, disguise kit, plastic explosives and silenced pistol for all your spying needs. Also available HALO (high altitude low opening) parachute suit for awesome spy jumps.
-- Duck Lagrange, May 09 2015

(?) aerostat http://en.wikipedia...above-maryland/752/
[Duck Lagrange, May 09 2015]

So a human payload slung under a hot air balloon. I have serious doubts the pilot (BO) has the control freedom the person on the ground needs.
-- wjt, May 10 2015


Yes, there would be a great deal of technical challenges for "dangling" someone by a hot air balloon. I think the much more difficult challenge would be trying to "dangle" from a 10,000ft elevation aerostat. :)
-- Duck Lagrange, May 11 2015


[+] <imagines the late 1800's; a street filled with the genteel out for a stroll, their manservants in balloons above, ready with sandwiches, libations and spare hosiery, communicating through speaking tubes.>
-- FlyingToaster, May 11 2015


Very steampunk ...
-- 8th of 7, May 12 2015


//imagines the late 1800's; a street filled with the genteel out for a stroll, their manservants in balloons above, ready with sandwiches, libations and spare hosiery, communicating through speaking tubes.// Welcome to my world.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, May 12 2015



random, halfbakery