Yost, as the story goes, strapped himself into a chair (which, according to his 2007 obituary in the New York Times ‘essentially looked like a lawn chair’) and propelled himself into the air by propane tanks. Yost’s flight lasted 25 minutes, reached 500 feet and covered three miles, according to published accounts. Five decades later, the sport of ballooning has grown to where competitions are held across the world and to where pilots are required to be properly trained. “It’s an accepted minority part of the aviation community around the world,” Palmer says. “We’re governed just the same as any other aircraft. “We have to be licensed and need to have a certificate for air worthiness for the balloon.” It’s an activity that even people like Lillevold — a certified flight instructor in Yankton — are still trying to master, with all of the weather variables and constant decisions to be made while hundreds of feet in the air. “Imagine pulling a railroad train with a lawnmower,” Lillevold says. “You can get it going and get it to stop, but it takes you a while to learn how to do it. You have to pay attention all the time.” Put another way, there’s more involved in flying a balloon than simply turning a tank off and on, and finding a place to land. No, even experienced pilots like Lillevold have found the challenge exciting. “For me, it’s the challenge of learning how to do this new thing,” he says. Taking To The Air The year was 1974. Palmer, then in his mid-20s, was working as a design engineer for a vPALMER continued on page 19 Did You Get Dad The One Gift He Really Needs? Men love their power tools. But when it comes to hearing, men often shy away from the one power tool that could boost their hearing and conquer noisy environments. Research shows hearing loss affects more men than women. Hearing loss can be easily diagnosed and treated. New hearing aids are sleek, sophisticated and virtually invisible. It’s not too late to give your dad the gift of better hearing. Call 605-665-0062 today to arrange for a hearing consultation with our Doctors of Audiology. We’re H“ear” For You! EAR, NOSE & THROAT ASSOCIATES, P.C. Beth J. Beeman Au. D, CCC-A Todd A. Farnham Au. D, CCC-A 2525 Fox Run Parkway, Suite 101, Yankton • 605-665-0062 • 1-866-665-0062 • www.entyankton.com HISVOICEvJANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018v9