is 30 percent remaining in each of the two 20-gallon tanks.  The balloon’s track across the ground is toward the southeast,  but a farmer’s tractor is observed making a column of dust  that is traveling nearly due east. The dust cloud rises from  the ground at about a 45° angle. From this information, it is  believed that the balloon turns left as it descends. This means  the pilot is looking to the left of the line the balloon now  travels. By dropping small tissue balls, the pilot determines  that the wind changes about halfway to the ground and  continues to turn left about 45°. As an initial plan, visualize  the descent being no faster than about 500 feet per minute  (fpm) initially and slowing to about 300 fpm about 400 feet  AGL where the turn to the left can be expected. Because  the balloon loses some lift from the cooling effect of the  wind direction change, the rate of descent should be closely  monitored during the turn. With this imagined descent in mind, the pilot searches for an  appropriate landing site. The next fallow field to the left of the  present track is blocked by tall powerlines. The landing site is  rejected as unsuitable. The next field that seems appropriate  is an unfenced grain stubble field bordered by dirt roads with  a 30-foot high power line turning along the west side to the  left and parallel to the balloon’s present track. Under the  powerlines is a paved road with a row crop of sugar beets to  the right and directly in the balloon’s ground track.  The pilot selects a landing site at the intersection of the two  dirt roads at the southeast corner of the field. The planned  path would be across the field diagonally giving the greatest  distance from the powerlines. Extending the final approach  line back over the powerlines and into the sugar beet field,  the pilot selects a point where the balloon is likely to begin  its surface wind turn. Then, reverse planning from that point,  a point should be determined in order to begin the initial  descent. landing site. At that point, the pilot should make a half burn  and the balloon will follow the desired path.  As a final illustration, steep descents, as previously discussed  in Chapter 7, are usually initiated and controlled from the point  or area depicted as C in  Figure 8-3.  The pilot must take both  planes of movement, the horizontal as well as the vertical,  into consideration when making the approach. Now, the balloon pilot performs the descent, turn, and landing  that is visualized. If all goes as planned, the balloon cools  and accelerates to about 500 fpm. The pilot applies some  heat to arrest the descent while approaching the imagined  turning point over the beets, levels off (or actually climbs  a bit) while crossing over the power lines (about 100 feet  above), and allows the balloon to cool again while setting  up another descent across the stubble field. Due to the seven  mile per hour (mph) estimated wind, the pilot allows the  basket to touch down about 150 feet away from the dirt road  intersection to lose some momentum as the basket bounces  and skids over to the road, just as planned. Again, the balloon pilot must visualize the landing by  imagining the path through the air and across the ground.  Constant scanning in all directions while on the desired  approach is imperative. Target fixation can cause a pilot to  miss potentially dangerous objects or situations. Look for  obstacles, especially powerlines, near the imagined track.  Note surface wind velocity and direction by looking for  smoke, dust, flags, moving trees, and anything else that  indicates wind direction. Do not be influenced too much by  a wind indicator at a distance from the proposed site if there  is a good indicator closer. As an example, imagine flying level at 700 feet above ground  level (AGL) and it is time to land. Checking the fuel, there  Imagine, how the landing might have occurred not knowing  the surface wind was different from that of the flight path.  Perhaps a less considerate pilot would plan on landing in the  8-4 $_{Figure 8-3.}$  Vertical profile for landing. A B C