Everything about Ed Yost totally explained
Paul Edward Yost (
June 30,
1919 –
May 27,
2007) was the American inventor of the modern
hot air balloon and was sometimes referred to as the "Father of the Modern Day Hot-Air Balloon."
Inventor
Born on a farm 7 miles south of
Bristow, Iowa, Yost first became involved in lighter-than-air ballooning when he leased his single-engine plane to
General Mills to track their gas balloons. He became a senior engineer in the development of high-altitude research balloons.
In the 1950s, Yost's own interests turned toward reviving the lost practice of manned hot-air ballooning. This technology had first been invented in
France by in the late 1700s by pioneers led by the
Montgolfier brothers, but under the Montgolfier system the balloon's air was heated by a ground fire prior to the balloon being released. The inherent danger of this type of balloon flight led to the system being abandoned when
hydrogen and later
helium became available.
One of Yost's key engineering insights was that a hot-air balloon could be made to carry its own fuel. The invention of relatively light burners fueled by bottled
propane made it possible for the balloonist to re-heat the air inside the balloon for a longer flight. Yost’s invention improved modern hot-air balloons into semi-maneuverable aircraft. Yost's other hot-air balloon patents included nonporous synthetic fabrics, maneuvering vents, and deflation systems for landing. Yost also designed the distinctive “teardrop” shape of the hot air balloon envelope itself. This hot-air balloon image has become an icon, used for example on the standard license plate of motor vehicles registered in
New Mexico.
Aviator
In October 1955, Yost developed and flew the first prototype of the modern hot air balloon in a tethered flight. After further refining and improving on this designs and materials, in 1963 Yost piloted the first modern balloon flight across the
English Channel with crew member
Don Piccard in a balloon later named the “Channel Champ.”
Further Information
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