Who has not wanted to ride in one of the colorful hot-air balloons so often seen today? The modern-day version of this old invention was developed by the late Ed Yost, who in the 1950s came up with the now-familiar teardrop shape, used stronger synthetic fabrics, and, most importantly, used an on-board propane burner to heat the air that gives the balloon its lift.
His first flight in such a balloon was made in 1960 from Bruning, Nebraska. That flight went only three miles, but later, Yost set distance records. The jolly-looking inventor died of a heart attack in 2007 at age 87.
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