area possible. If a high wind landing is expected, the pilot  should anticipate rebound and dragging after touchdown;  the pilot also needs to consider the prospect of deliberately  landing the balloon in a less than desirable area in order to  avoid potential power line contacts. 14 CFR part 31 and the balloon manufacturers’ equipment  lists specify certain instruments to be in the balloon. However,  most pilots find they use instruments less and less as they  gain experience and familiarity with the balloon. Hot air balloon burner pilot lights are extremely reliable;  however, they do fail at times. This is usually caused by a  failure in the valve controlling the pilot light, or clogging of  the orifice in the pilot regulator due to contamination in the  fuel supplying the pilot light.  For instance, while the VSI and the altimeter can be used to  execute a smooth descent and transition to level flight, the  experienced pilot refers only occasionally to the instruments  during maneuvers. This is especially so in maneuvers  involving descents where more reliance is placed on sight  pictures and visual references. Some beginner pilots become fixated on the instruments  and forget to scan outside for obstacles. If a pilot spends too  much time looking at the flight instruments, the instructor  may cover the instrument pack with a spare glove or a hand  to try to break the formation of a bad habit. Instruments are  required and useful, but should not distract the pilot from  obstacle avoidance. Always practice see-and-avoid. In a dual burner system, the failure of a pilot light is not a  serious issue, as the balloon can still be controlled through the  use of the second burner. The pilot may attempt to relight the  pilot light by using both burners at the same time. To some  extent, the pilot may be able to utilize this procedure to fly  the balloon until able to land in a suitable location, should  the extinguished pilot light not relight.  Pilot light failure in a single burner balloon is of more  concern, as the pilot’s options for continued flight are  reduced. The pilot needs to take immediate action to relight  the pilot light, either through the use of a piezoelectric igniter  (if equipped), or by using a striker or other ignition source.  Many balloon burners are not designed to be conveniently  relit while standing in the basket; this should be practiced  on a periodic basis by the pilot, at a minimum during flight  reviews. Should the pilot light not relight immediately, many  burners can still be utilized by “cracking” the main blast  valve very slightly, and then lighting the fuel stream from the  burner’s jets. Other sources may include the backup system  fitted in that particular balloon. The pilot may slightly open  the valve controlling the backup system, and attempt to light  that stream of propane. In any case, a landing as soon as  practical is probably the best course of action An emergency is a sudden, unexpected situation or  occurrence that requires immediate action. In aviation, an  emergency is a critical, possibly life-threatening or property- threatening occurrence that may require outside assistance.  In an emergency, the pilot may violate any regulation as  necessary to safely resolve the emergency, but must be  prepared to justify his or her actions. Because of its basic simplicity, there are few catastrophic  failures or emergencies in a hot air balloon. Virtually all  emergency situations involving balloons can be grouped  into three categories: Fuel leaks in flight have the potential for catastrophic results  and must be acted upon immediately. Because of the design  of most balloon fuel systems, there are numerous potential  “leak points” which may be the source for a fuel leak. Fuel  lines and fuel line fittings, tank valves, and blast valves all  have the potential for failure, and the balloon pilot must be  aware of the various circumstances, and be prepared to deal  with them. This is usually thought of as a loss of the envelope valve  control line. This could occur after a particularly windy  inflation, during which the pilot has inadvertently burned  through the control line and failed to notice it prior to launch.  Another variation could be a control line stuck in a guide  pulley, preventing the pilot from being able to control the  parachute vent. Regardless of the reason, loss of a control line must be  handled. A pilot experiencing this problem must be prepared  to land the balloon with a minimal amount of control, as he or  she has use only of the burner to affect the descent. The pilot  should maintain minimum altitudes and land in the largest  Virtually all in-flight fuel leak emergencies in a balloon can  be dealt with by shutting off the fuel source. Small fires  from leaks around a fuel line fitting may be extinguished  by shutting off the fuel source and then wrapping a gloved  7-12 Fuel Leak  Loss/Malfunction of Vent or Deflation Line  InFlight Emergencies Loss/Malfunction of Pilot Light  Use of Instruments •  Loss/malfunction of vent or deflation line •  Loss/malfunction of pilot light •  Fuel leak