Paul Edward Yost (June 30, 1919 – May 27, 2007) was the American inventor of the modern
hot air balloon
A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a gondola or wicker basket (in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, a capsule), which carries p ...
and is referred to as the "Father of the Modern Day Hot-Air Balloon."
[
] He worked for a high-altitude research division of
General Mills
General Mills, Inc., is an American multinational manufacturer and marketer of branded processed consumer foods sold through retail stores. Founded on the banks of the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, the company orig ...
in the early 1950s until he left to establish
Raven Industries
Raven Industries, Inc. is an American company that manufactures precision agriculture products, high-altitude balloons, plastic film and sheeting, and radar systems. The company was founded in 1956. They are headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Da ...
in 1956, along with several colleagues from General Mills.
Inventor
Born on a farm seven miles south of
Bristow, Iowa
Bristow is a city in Butler County, Iowa, United States. The population was 145 at the 2020 census.
Geography
Bristow is located at (42.773510, -92.906926).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.
...
to Charles L. Yost and Fleta Ferne Burman Yost, Paul Edward Yost first became involved in lighter-than-air ballooning when he leased his single-engine plane to
General Mills
General Mills, Inc., is an American multinational manufacturer and marketer of branded processed consumer foods sold through retail stores. Founded on the banks of the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, the company orig ...
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
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
in the late 18th century by pioneers led by the
Montgolfier brothers
The Montgolfier brothers – Joseph-Michel Montgolfier (; 26 August 1740 – 26 June 1810) and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier (; 6 January 1745 – 2 August 1799) – were aviation pioneers, balloonists and paper manufacturers from the commune A ...
, 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
Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the lightest element. At standard conditions hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula . It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, an ...
and later
helium
Helium (from el, ἥλιος, helios, lit=sun) is a chemical element with the symbol He and atomic number 2. It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas and the first in the noble gas group in the periodic table. ...
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
Propane () is a three-carbon alkane with the molecular formula . It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure, but compressible to a transportable liquid. A by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining, it is commonly used a ...
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 patented further refinements he made to the hot-air balloon, including nonporous synthetic fabrics, maneuvering vents, and deflation systems for landing. Yost also designed the distinctive “teardrop” shape of the hot air balloon envelope itself.
Aviator
In October 1955, Yost developed and flew the first prototype of the modern hot-air balloon in a tethered flight.
[ The envelope was plastic film, and heat was provided by burning ]kerosene
Kerosene, paraffin, or lamp oil is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid which is derived from petroleum. It is widely used as a fuel in aviation as well as households. Its name derives from el, κηρός (''keros'') meaning "wax", and was regi ...
. This prototype flight uncovered conceptual flaws that Yost worked to overcome.
Raven Industries
Raven Industries, Inc. is an American company that manufactures precision agriculture products, high-altitude balloons, plastic film and sheeting, and radar systems. The company was founded in 1956. They are headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Da ...
pioneered hot air balloons manufacturing. Raven was founded in 1956 by Paul Edward Yost, J. R. Smith, Joseph Kaliszewski, and Dwayne Thon, while working in the General Mills
General Mills, Inc., is an American multinational manufacturer and marketer of branded processed consumer foods sold through retail stores. Founded on the banks of the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, the company orig ...
scientific balloon program. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, SD; Raven was contracted by the US Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...
's Office of Naval Research (ONR) to create a reusable, lightweight balloon that would carry a pilot to 10,000 feet and fly for three hours. Yost made the first tethered flight in October 1955. The envelope was plastic film used in gas balloons and heat from plumber’s pots burning kerosene. Yost remained aloft for 25 minutes and traveled three miles from the takeoff point.
On October 22, 1960, Yost made the first-ever free flight of a modern hot-air balloon from Bruning, Nebraska
Bruning is a village in Thayer County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 285 at the 2020 census.
History
Bruning was established in 1887 as a town on the railroad. It was named for Frank Bruning
During World War II the U.S. Army Ai ...
. His balloon flew untethered for 1 hour and 35 minutes with the aid of heat generated by a propane burner. The balloon's -diameter envelope was sewn from heat-resistant fabric especially selected by Yost for the purpose. In November 1960, Yost made a second flight with an improved balloon from the famed Stratobowl
The Stratobowl is a compact natural depression within the limits of Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota, south-west of Rapid City. In 1934–1935 it housed a stratospheric balloon launch site, initially known as Stratocamp, sponsored by ...
, near Rapid City, South Dakota
Rapid City ( lkt, link=no, Mni Lúzahaŋ Otȟúŋwahe; "Swift Water City") is the second most populous city in South Dakota and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek, where the settlement developed, it is in western So ...
.
Raven Industries sold their first civilian hot air balloon in November 1961, launching a new sport in the process. The Raven Vulcoon balloon, model S50A, with a basket constructed of aluminum tubing and fiberglass panels was the first hot air balloon to receive an airworthiness certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
. Registration number N1960R was manufactured in May 1972 and first flown on June 11 of that year. Its balloon envelope had a capacity of 56,500 cubic feet, an empty weight of 325 pounds, and a maximum gross lifting capacity of 1400 pounds. For its entire career, the balloon was owned and operated by the Tewksbury Balloon Club, Fairmont, New Jersey.
On April 13, 1963, after further refining and improving on his designs and materials, Yost piloted the first modern hot air balloon
A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a gondola or wicker basket (in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, a capsule), which carries p ...
across the English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
with fellow balloonist Don Piccard
Donald Louis Piccard (January 13, 1926 – September 13, 2020) was a Swiss-born American balloon pioneer, promoter, innovator, designer, builder, and pilot.
Piccard was born in Lausanne, Switzerland to Jean Piccard, Jean Felix Piccard and Jean ...
in a balloon later named the “Channel Champ.”
In 1976, Yost set 13 aviation world records for distance traveled and amount of time aloft in his attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
—solo— by balloon. He designed and built his balloon, the “Silver Fox," himself, partly in his home garage. It featured a gondola that was shaped like a boat in the event that he would be forced down at sea — which is precisely what occurred. Although he had traveled far in excess of the distance needed to reach Europe from his launch point off the coast of Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...
, his flight path began to point south rather than the hoped-for east direction due to inaccurate weather forecasting. The dream was achieved two years later with Yost’s assistance in a Yost-built balloon, Double Eagle II
''Double Eagle II'', piloted by Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson and Larry Newman, became the first balloon to cross the Atlantic Ocean when it landed 17 August 1978 in Miserey near Paris, 137 hours 6 minutes after leaving Presque Isle, Maine.
It ...
.
Yost also contributed to the advancement of the sport of ballooning and lighter-than-air flight. He helped to found the Balloon Federation of America
The Balloon Federation of America (BFA) is a 501c3 non-profit group for the advancement of lighter-than-air aviation which includes hot air and gas balloons. Founded in 1960, located in Indianola, Iowa. The BFA partners with the National Bal ...
(BFA) and assisted in the organization of the first U.S. National Ballooning Championship in Indianola, Iowa
Indianola is a city in Warren County, Iowa, United States, located south of downtown Des Moines, Iowa. The population was 15,833 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Warren County. Indianola is home to the National Balloon ...
.[
Yost founded the Balloon Historical Society (BHS) in 2002, which dedicated four monuments on the rim of the ]Stratobowl
The Stratobowl is a compact natural depression within the limits of Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota, south-west of Rapid City. In 1934–1935 it housed a stratospheric balloon launch site, initially known as Stratocamp, sponsored by ...
on July 28, 2004, to memorialize the Stratobowl projects in the 1930s as well as the second flight of a modern hot-air balloon.[http://www.interaeroleague.com International Aeronauts League]
On May 27, 2007, Yost died of a heart attack at the age of 87 at his home in Vadito, near Taos, New Mexico
Taos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Initially founded in 1615, it was intermittently occupied until its formal establishment in 1795 by Nuevo México Governor Fernando Cha ...
.[Hevesi, Dennis]
"Ed Yost, 87, Father of Modern Hot-Air Ballooning, Dies"
, ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', 2007-06-04. Retrieved on 2007-10-31.
He was buried in the Allison cemetery in Allison, Iowa
Allison is a city in, and the county seat of, Butler County, Iowa, United States. The population was 966 at the 2020 census. Allison is home to the Butler County Fair. The city was named for U.S. Senator William B. Allison in 1881.
Geography
Alli ...
.
References
External links
Paul Edward Yost
The National Balloon Museum, Indianola, Iowa
Albuquerque International Balloon Museum
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yost, Ed
American balloonists
1919 births
2007 deaths
People from Butler County, Iowa
Balloon flight record holders
American aviation record holders
20th-century American inventors
Aviators from Iowa
People from Iowa
Businesspeople from South Dakota
English Channel
The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
United Kingdom aviation-related lists
Aviation history of France
Aviation history of the United Kingdom
English Channel
20th-century American businesspeople