BEND, Ore. -- A Bend man soared into the national spotlight after attaching more than 100 helium balloons to a lawn chair and flying across Oregon.

Kent Couch was interviewed on the television morning program "Good Morning America" in New York Wednesday about his high-flying adventure.

Dianne Sawyer interviewed Couch and his wife, Susan, in Central Park, where they had tethered a copy of his balloon getup. A lawnchair floated in the background during the interview and Sawyer assured the nation that the Couches were, "both sane."

For the famous flight last weekend, Couch and his team of helpers attached 105 balloons to the lawn chair, each 4 feet around. Bundled together, the balloons rose three stories high.

Couch carried a global positioning system device, a two-way radio, a digital camcorder and a cell phone. He also had

instruments to measure his altitude and speed and about four plastic bags holding five gallons of water each to act as a ballast -- he could turn a spigot, release water and rise.

SLIDESHOW: See photos of the lawn chair flight

RAW VIDEO: Couch takes flight in a lawn chair

Nearly nine hours later, Couch was short of Idaho. But he was 193 miles from home, in a farmer's field near Union, having crossed much of Oregon at 11,000 feet and higher.

Couch, 47, is the latest American to emulate Larry Walters -- who in 1982 rose three miles above Los Angeles in a lawn chair lifted by balloons.

Walters surprised an airline pilot, who radioed the control tower that he had just passed a guy in a lawn chair with a gun. The weapon was to shoot balloons and descend. Walters paid a $1,500 penalty for violating air traffic rules. Eleven years later, he committed suicide at age 44.

Why would Couch try such a flight?

"When you're a little kid and you're holding a helium balloon, it has to cross your mind," he told the Bend Bulletin.

"When you're laying in the grass on a summer day, and you see the clouds, you wish you could jump on them," he told the Bulletin. "This is as close as you can come to jumping on them. It's just like that."

It was Couch's second flight.

In September, he got to 15,000 feet on a six-hour trip. Like Walters, he used a BB gun to pop the balloons, but he went into a rapid descent. He jettisoned his goods, including food, drink and BB gun. Eventually, he parachuted to safety.

This time he was better prepared. The balloons had a new configuration, so it was easier to reach up and release a bit of helium instead of simply cutting off a balloon.

More: How a wild idea turned into a famous flight

Afterward, Couch said he's thought about ways to improve the trip, especially the landing, but whether he'll take a third trip is up to his wife.

"I'm not saying I won't do it again, but I told her I'd let her decide if I did it again," he said.

Susan Couch said she's thinking about saying no. But she said she was willing to go along with last weekend's trip.

"I know he'd be thinking about it more and more, it would always be on his mind." she said. "This way, at least he's fulfilled his dream."