What is the biggest (not heaviest) thing ever lifted by a human?

General Questions
#1

What is the biggest thing ever lifted totally off the ground by a single human without mechanical aid? I am not sure how to measure biggest thing- maybe by height X width X length or by outer circumference? By without mechanical aid I mean pure human power without machines, chemicals, lighter than air gas, pulleys, gears, levers, and that sort of thing.

I want to build a two story house out of balsa wood and then lift it over my head to scare the neighbor kids (stolen from a Stephen Wright routine).

#2

Blimp?

#3

That has lighter than air gas – not allowed per OP.

#4

A large air-filled balloon? It’s slightly pressurized, so it’s not lighter than air…

#5

“I went to the hardware store and bought some used paint. It was shaped like a house.”
– Steven Wright

#6

Something like this. It wouldn’t necessarily be lifted and under control, but the OP didn’t describe that. It’s unlikely the OP will be able to lift a balsa wood house off the ground if it’s a reasonably sized house. First of all, it would be quite heavy even made of balsa wood. Even if made of lighter material and lifted from directly under the CG, very small imbalances in the lift will tilt it over. And that assumes windless conditions also.

#7

The Stephen Wright reference completely blows this entire thread out of the water for me.

But, we can imagine a mylar balloon in orbit.
If a 'naut interacts with it, is that ‘lifting’ it?
If the axis of motion is away from the center of Terra?
Then you could conceivably have a really large object lifted by a human (always assuming the previously referenced 'naut is, in fact, a human).

Was my period supposed to be inside the terminal parenthesis, or not?

#8

Not. Your way is correct, as the parenthetical phrase was part of the sentence.