highly desirable, will not always be possible.  Each of us will at some time in our balloon fly› ing career make a serious in-flight decision  about power line contact. This decision will be  hard, perhaps terrifying and very serious.  valves. Short pieces of pipe associated with  quick disconnects at the tank valves or for any•  other reason  must be carefully protected  (usually by rotating the tank until the fitting is  Knowing that collision with a power line  must occur in a precise way in order to  minimize personal injury is a big part of the  decision  criteria.  Acting  quickly is  also  necessary. The decision involves "burn" or  "rip". Emotionally, all pilots will want to "burn"  because if you can fly over the wires-missing  them completely-there are no complications  once safe passage occurs. The nagging prob•  lem is predicting absolutely that you can clear  the power lines. On the other hand, ripping is a  safer decision because there is almost no  protected by the gondola structure) from heavy  body contact by the pilot or passengers. These  short pieces of pipe act as levers which multiply  the force of the blow on the valve body. It is possi› ble to break tank valves in this manner. Brass  fittings have only % the strength of steel for an  equal thickness; therefore, these fittings are the  most suspect and require special attention.  Fuel tanks can be burned through by arcing  power lines. It is unlikely that a pilot can do  much to protect tanks from this exposure ex› cept by avoiding power lines.  chance that the envelope will contact the  power line incorrectly, r.e. below the equator.  -- The• •problems- with ripping are- numerous;  however, these problems are not as likely to be  fatal.  Consider the possible problems of rrpping:  1 he hazard of power lines 1S generally ac› ceptetJ as balloor11ng s greatest danger. Con› tacting power lines below the equator of the  envelope  will  generally  result  1n • burn1ng  through the flyrng wnes as the envelope drags  tt1e gondola over tLn wires If contact IS made  at or below the supr,rstruc;ture a good chance  of a fuel tank or turd l1ne rupture ex1st_s from  power lrne arc1ng. Ne1ther oi these alternatives  IS acceptable Powor 1rne contact above the  equator 1s much less hazardous because the  balloon Will be forcr;d to the ground by a com› bina\lon of the otJ’otl uctron and w1nd force.  Therrn1c: conli1t1or•, may complicate  ttw  last  option.  a. The prlot"s ego may be severely wounded  because there 1S tt1e possrb1lrty of criticism for  over reactrng. On the other hand. it may be nice  to be a11ve and capable of personally drscuss› ing thrs critiCISm.  Obv1ously :r1e best way •to promote your per› sonal safety  {in~ludHlQ  pas~.engers)  1s tc avoid  power lrnes Avoidance of power lines. wh1le  4 